Nigeria to build new railway to Niger

The Nigerian government has announced that it will build a major new rail line linking the country with its neighbour Niger.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave the approval to the nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) project, with construction expected to start before the end of this year, a government spokesperson told the BBC.

This rail project is ambitious – about 400km (250 miles) – passing through the desert from northern Nigeria's commercial hub Kano, up to Maradi – the economic hub of Niger.

Nigeria says it will boost economic activities between the two countries.

Nigeria's previous railway projects, which received significant loans from China, were awarded to Chinese companies.

But this time the contract has been awarded to the pan-African construction company Mota-Engil Africa.

There are concerns that the current wave of insecurity in northern Nigeria, with criminal gangs attacking communities and kidnapping people for ransom, could pose a challenge to the project.

The latest rail line is also expected to be an extension of a project linking southern Nigeria with the north of the country.