While Nigeria’s entire 1,300-kilometer railway will be modernized, the 185-km Abuja-Kaduna project is key because it reduces worker commute times and boosts the economy in the country’s capital region, and creates a primary cargo corridor from inland to sea. The project provided 6,000 construction jobs and, when in operation, will generate up to 10,000 more, directly and indirectly, according to project officials.

This railway is the first in western Africa to use Chinese construction standards, and judges noted the difficulty of numerous reviews by both Chinese and Western team members. Further, it is Nigeria’s first standard-gauge line to adopt continuous welded rail for a smoother ride, and it will feature advanced communications and signaling. Global sourcing of high-tensile steel, rail-and-track precision machinery, and other materials and equipment was challenging and required careful scheduling, says the submitter. Workers also faced terror and kidnap threats from Boko Haram. More than 4,000 local workers were trained to lay track, use bridge-erection equipment and understand railway operations, and a new training center was opened for future projects. Each station was designed to harmonize with its rural or urban surroundings.

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