Commercial take-off of Lagos-Ibadan Rail on course – FG

The projection to commence commercial activities on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail is still on course, the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT) has reassured.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Sabiu Zakari stated this at the weekend during the inspection of the $1.5bn naira project.

The government through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had earlier announced that commercial operations on the project would commence in October this year.

Zakari after inspecting the project on Friday said: “My assessment is that work is in progress and we are on schedule as far as what is being contemplated is concerned. The quality of work is exactly what we want. What is being done is in accordance with the specifications in the scope of the work and the bills provided.”

He noted that the pace of work on the project was satisfactory, adding that the test-run of operations on the project had already commenced.

“Don’t forget, test-run had already started. The only thing is that it was stopped because work is ongoing in some other places. So, as we go along, test-run can take place and at the same time, it can stop because it’s something that is done on and off,” he added.

Also speaking, Managing Director of the NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, said the two tracks of the rail from Lagos to Ibadan have been completed.

He noted that as at the last inspection by the team two weeks earlier, one of the lanes was four kilometer to be completed at the Ibadan end of the tracks.

He said: “Apart from the Lagos end of the tracks, the remaining works are just finishing. The two tracks have gotten to Ibadan and anytime we go to Ibadan now, we go by rail and return by rail. We now want to concentrate on the Lagos end so that sooner than later, we can start operations from Iju to Ibadan.”