The Ministry says the programme of 466 young people in Niger covers track laying and infrastructure, railway operations and traffic, and preventive and corrective maintenance.
The Government aims to strengthen local skills and help young people into work, with national expertise a pillar of delivering Niger’s major infrastructure projects.
- Niger’s Ministry of Equipment and Infrastructure has launched training for the first 100 of 466 young people in railway trades, ahead of the Kano–Katsina–Maradi railway project.
- The launch took place on 4 November 2026 at the Centre de Perfectionnement des Travaux Publics in Niamey.
- The first wave of 100 trainees is in track-laying trades.
- The full programme covers track laying and infrastructure, railway operations and traffic, and preventive and corrective maintenance.
- Minister Colonel-Major Salissou Mahaman Salissou announced that works on the 50km Dan Issa–Maradi section will start soon.
- The Government says the programme is intended to strengthen local skills and help young people into work.
Niger’s Minister of Equipment and Infrastructure, Colonel-Major Salissou Mahaman Salissou, officially launched the training of the first 100 young people in track-laying trades on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at the Centre de Perfectionnement des Travaux Publics (CPTP), the public works training centre in Niamey. The Ministry says the course is being held ahead of the Kano–Katsina–Maradi railway project, which links Nigeria and Niger.
The minister told those present at the launch that the first wave belongs to a programme to train 466 young people in three areas: track laying and infrastructure, railway operations and traffic, and preventive and corrective maintenance. He also announced that works on the 50km Dan Issa–Maradi section will start soon.
The Governor of the Niamey Region, Major General Assoumane Abdou Harouna, welcomed the participants and spoke of the historic and strategic importance of the railway to Niger, notably in lowering transport costs and developing trade. CPTP Director General Soli Housseini outlined the part the training will play in building national expertise to support the construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure.
The minister has placed the initiative within the Programme de Refondation de la République, the Government’s national programme, and urged the trainees to show rigour, discipline, selflessness and commitment so as to become capable contributors to national railway development. The Ministry says the Government intends to strengthen local skills, help young people into work and make national expertise a pillar of delivering Niger’s major infrastructure projects.
