157km Kano–Katsina Road Stuck at 27% Over Compensation
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO – The construction of the 157-kilometre Kano–Katsina dual carriageway has stalled at about 27 per cent completion due to delays in the payment of compensation to owners of affected farmlands and buildings, the Federal Government has said.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement for the North-West, Malam Abdullahi Tanko-Yakasai, disclosed this during an inspection of the project at Gidan-Mutum Daya in Katsina State.
According to Tanko-Yakasai, the road project, which was awarded by the previous administration, has made “reasonable progress” but has been slowed significantly by unresolved compensation issues along the corridor.
“The major challenge affecting the pace of work is the delay in paying compensation to people whose farmlands and properties are affected by the project,” he said, adding that only about 27 per cent of the work has so far been completed.
He stressed the strategic importance of the Kano–Katsina road, describing it as a critical economic link between Katsina State and Kano, one of the country’s major commercial centres.
Tanko-Yakasai expressed optimism that the compensation bottlenecks would soon be resolved through joint efforts between the Federal Ministry of Works and the Katsina State Government.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Minister of Works, Malam Muhammed Idris, said the project is receiving adequate funding under the current administration.
“The funding for this project is in place, and once the compensation issues are addressed, work will progress at a faster pace,” the minister assured.
Meanwhile, the contractor handling the project, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), alongside officials of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), confirmed that construction is being carried out in line with approved standards and professional best practices.
They said the company remains committed to delivering a durable and high-quality road once all outstanding issues, particularly compensation, are resolved.