China Development Bank has authorised a $254.76 million loan to Nigeria to help complete the Kano-Kaduna railway project. This development comes ahead of China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s anticipated visit to the West African country this week.
Wang Yi will arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday as part of his annual New Year visit of Africa, where he will meet with President Bola Tinubu and other top government officials on Thursday, according to the Nigerian Foreign Ministry.
The 203-kilometre (126-mile) standard-gauge railway that connects Kano, a significant northern city, to the country’s capital, Abuja, has been delayed due to funding issues. The project is expected to cost $973 million.
China Development Bank stated on its website that the newly granted loan would let the railway’s construction move forward smoothly. Once built, the railway is projected to provide a safe, efficient, and convenient transit link that will benefit local communities.
The Kano-Kaduna railway is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and is being built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
