NAN reports that Alkali revealed this on Saturday while assessing the progress of building in Kaduna State's Makarfi Local Government Area.
The Minister instructed the construction contractor to employ anti-theft materials to monitor vandals' activities.
He urged the contractors to switch from the metal clips they were using to hold the rail track to anti-theft clips.
Using anti-theft clips, he claimed, would make it challenging for vandals to remove.
The visit, the minister said, was to assess the situation and, if necessary, provide guidance.
"Seeing is believing, as you know, so we came to take a look for ourselves. We were able to evaluate the contractor's performance.
In order to prevent vandals from quickly removing them, he stated, "We have raised some minor observations on the clips they are using and we have asked them to use anti-theft clips."
The Minister pledged to work with security services to ensure the project is completed in the shortest amount of time possible after recognizing the security difficulty in the area.
The project has reached a completion rate of 22.6%, according to Mr. Mark Zoe, the project coordinator for China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).
However, Zoe identified insecurity as a significant problem in the region and requested cooperation with the military to guarantee the protection of employees while they were on the job.
He claimed that two employees of the company had previously been taken hostage along Tashar Yari in Kaduna State's Makarfi Local Government Area.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the $1.2 billion rail project in July 2021, however building didn't start until April 2022.