FG begins negotiations for six rail projects

The Federal Government has commenced negotiations for the contracts of six new railway lines that will cut across the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said.

The minister said already, President Muhammadu Buhari has given the go-ahead for the six new railway lines projects.

Speaking during a budget defence meeting with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport chaired by Aminu Sani Isa (APC, Sokoto), Amaechi said the ministry has been given the approval to get financiers for the projects.

He said the ministry has received expressions of interest with potential and indicative financial models and business plans and that negotiations are ongoing, which may warrant the Federal Government to make contributions based on the negotiations.

Amaechi said the railway lines included a new standard gauge rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri through Enugu, Lafia, Makurdi, Gombe, Owerri, Onitsha, Awka, Abakaliki, Yola, Jalingo and Damaturu and another from Kano-Katsina-JibiyaMaradi (Niger Republic).

He said there were also the extension of Itapke-Aladja (Warri) to Abuja and Warri Port; development of Railway Industrial Park in Port Harcourt and another proposal for a line to connect Bonny Island Deep Sea port from Port Harcourt.

He said there is an ongoing feasibility study started in 2013 for new lines such as IllelaSokoto-Yelwa-MakeraKontagoraMinna; IlorinOkoyi-Batigi-Baro to link Itakpe-Abuja.

There is also the Port Harcourt-Aba-UmuahiaLafia-Kuru-BauchiGombe-Biu-Maiduguri; Calabar-Ikom-ObuduOgoja-Wukari-YolaMaiduguri and Aba-Ikot Ekpene-IbianoItu-Dukpani-Calabra line.

Provisions have been made in the 2018 budget for the projects and the ongoing Itakpe-AjaokutaWarri-Aladja railway project, which started about 32 years ago, he added.

The committee was pleased that the ministry judiciously utilized its 2017 budget.