Explainer: As Abuja multi-million-dollar Rail Mass Transit sets to reopen in May
ABUJA Rail Mass Transit project, also known as Abuja Light Rail, is 97 percent ready and will commence operations in May, Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister continues to reassure.
The project which is the first rapid transit system in Nigeria, and the second in sub-saharan Africa after Addis Ababa Light Rail has suffered a few setbacks, largely blamed on funding by successive governments.
Aimed at solving the perennial transportation problem within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its adjoining towns and cities, the project was planned to run through six lots.
The $823m project - as earlier proposed though - remains a major infrastructure project in Nigeria’s capital city was first conceived in 1997 during Gen Sani Abacha’s regime, but was delayed due to funding issues. The proposal was to source up to 60 percent of that sum as loans from the Exim Bank of China.
However, hope was restored when the Federal Executive Council (FEC), under President Goodluck Johnathan on August 18, 2010, approved N1.26 billion ($841 million) contract for project management services in respect of the Lots 1-3 of the light rail transit project, under the supervision of Ngozi Okonjo-iweala, the then Coordinating Minister of Economy and Finance.
Yet after all the paperwork, which was never made public, construction work on lots 1 and 3 commenced, but the project remained largely abandoned.
According to Bala Mohammed, the then FCT Minister, each kilometre was expected to gulp about $13 million. Upon completion, Lot 1 was expected to handle approximately 350,000 riders per day while Lot 3 will carry about 60,000 commuters per day.
The loan agreement was signed on November 7, 2012 between Nigeria and the China EXIM Bank. It’s a $500 million concessionary loan at 2.50 per cent, with a grace period of seven years, maturity date of September 21, 2032 and tenure of 20 years. The loan has since been fully accessed.
How the light rail was proposed to work:
The project was proposed to cover a total distance of 290 km (180 miles) to be developed in six phases or lots.
According to Businessday findings, the 42.5 km (26.4 mi) Lot 1, which has been completed, but not efficiently put to use has two lines and 12 stations connecting the Abuja City Centre with the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport via the Lagos– Kano standard gauge railway at Idu. It has stations at Abuja metro, stadium, Kukwaba I, Kukwaba II, Wupa, Idu, Bassanjiwa and the airport.
Lot 2 connects from Gwagwa through the metro station to Nyanya/ Karu.
The Blue Line (Lot 3) is expected to pass through Idu to Kubwa, with stations in Idu, Gwagwa, Deidei, Kagini and Gbazango.
Lot 4 is expected to run from Kuje to Karshi, while Lot 5 will run from Kubwa via Bwari to Suleja and Lot 6 from the airport via Kuje and Gwagwalada to Dobi.
The first phase of the project, named lots 1A and 3, Wike says will be put into full use by May and currently undergoing final touches.
The federal government in 2014, had approved a N272 million contract for consultancy services for the feasibility study and conceptual design of lots 4, 5, and 6 of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit System. The contract was awarded to Ladiom Associates with a completion period of 12 months.
Why the project stalled:
Lots 1 and 3 built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corp was due to be completed by 2015. Later commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 12, 2018 and opened for passengers the following week. However, passenger service on the line was put on hold in early 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been abandoned for 6 years, paving the way for vandals to feast on the facility.
Effort by the current administration:
The present Wike administration has consistently assured that all pending works on the Abuja Light Rail project will be completed before May 29, 2024 after it proposed an additional N22.4 billion into the project. According to him, the project is 97% completed.
After a recent inspection tour of the project from the Metro Station in Central Area to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the Minister described the development as a “dream come true” and will be used to celebrate President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.
During a 30-minutes ride from the Metro Station to the Airport, he assured Abuja residents that the train was more convenient to use than vehicles to the airport.
Businessday findings also show that access roads are currently being constructed across different rails routes to link to the metro station.
Two indigenous security companies, “Alhali Nigeria Limited and Segada security companies have been awarded the contract of providing security at the terminal.
Residents react:
Although the Abuja light rail is expected to ease road traffic gridlock in the city, the May launch date has attracted mixed reactions of enthusiasm and pessimism from residents of the capital city. Musa Madaki, a resident in Kubwa, a popular suburb in Abuja said he is just watching but not paying any serious attention to government promises on the completion date. “This is because there was the story of an initial completion period of 2018 announced by the FCT Administration and it was shut down,” he stated.
Ikenna Obi, also a resident of Kubwa is however, “more hopeful now because unlike before, we can see serious work terminus being built. I have test driven a number of times, I don’t know whether the contractors are on schedule or not but it seems they are not far from the end.”
Adewale Awolabi, an international business man said: “Airport rail links are very popular in Europe, Asia and North America and have significantly improved travel time and ease interconnection with other public transport.”
Michael Peters, a town planner said: “I am excited because this airport connection will benefit everyone especially in taking away highway and parking congestion, lessen pollution, and offer additional business opportunities.”