Ahead of a visit to Nigeria by China’s top diplomat this week, China Development Bank has released a $254.76 million loan to the West African country for a railway project linking the two northern states of Kano and Kaduna.
Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry said this is part of China’s annual New Year tour of Africa.
The ministry added that China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday and meet President Bola Tinubu and senior government officials on Thursday.
Construction of the Kaduna-to-Kano rail project, which is expected to cost $973 million, has been slowed by funding delays.
China Development Bank said in a statement on its website that the loan would provide financial support for the smooth progress of the 203-kilometre (126-mile) standard-gauge railway.
“Once completed, it will provide direct rail connectivity between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja, offering residents a safe, efficient, and convenient mode of transportation,” the bank said.
Nigeria’s parliament first approved China’s Exim Bank as financier for the rail project in 2020 but the bank later withdrew.
The Kano-Kaduna railway project is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and is being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
It is also expected to ease the movement of people and goods in a region where road travellers face attacks from armed gangs who kidnap for ransom.
China is among Nigeria’s largest bilateral lenders, providing loans for roads, rail and power stations.
