FG approves 60% local content for railway projects

The Federal Executive Council has approved a local content policy for the ongoing LagosIbadan standard gauge rail project

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this while monitoring the progress of work on the $1.5bn project.

At the monthly project briefing yesterday were the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mr Olatunji Bello, the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (LAMATA) Mr Abiodun Dabiri, for Lagos State Government, the Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Mr Olalekan Adegbite, Chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr Usman Abubakar, the Managing Director, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, and staff of CCECC, the contractor handling the project.

Under the local content policy, he said the contractor has been directed to ensure that nothing less than 60 percent is reserved for local sourcing of manpower.

The intent, according to him, is to generate more jobs for Nigerians, saying, when all the railway projects are fully on stream, no fewer than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created.

He noted that in line with this commitment, he was at Ajaokuta on Monday, where he gave a marching order for the completion of the Ajaokuta-Warri Standard Gauge rail line.

Amaechi added that an approval has also been given for the completion of the GombeMaiduguri rail line which was the final leg of the Eastern Rail line which starts from Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

He said: “We are determined to lessen the pains of the recession and spend on ourselves for the actualization of the various promises we made to Nigerians. In the Ministry of Transportation, we are committed to actualising the presidential directive which was to ensure that all state capitals are connected to rail before the end of its tenure. But this cannot be achieved in a hurry, people need to give us time.”