INFRASTRUCTURE: PRESIDENT BUHARI APPROVES SIX NEW RAILWAY LINE PROJECTS ~ Chibuike Amaechi
🚄 President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for six new railway projects. The projects include the
🥁 Kano-Katsina-Jibiya to Maradi in Niger Republic;
🥁 New standard gauge rail from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri passing through
⭕ Enugu,
⭕ Lafia,
⭕ Makurdi,
⭕ Gombe,
⭕ Owerri,
⭕ Onitsha,
⭕ Awka,
⭕ Abakaliki,
⭕ Yola,
⭕ Jalingo and
⭕ Damaturu.
The rest are extension of the
⭕ Itapke-Aladja (Warri) to
⭕ Abuja
⭕ Warri Port;
⭕ Industrial Park in Port Harcourt, a proposal for railway connection to
⭕ Bonny Island Deep Sea port from Port Harcourt.
🚄 Mr. President’s approval to source for financiers for various rail projects for development was sought for and obtained.
🚄 Amaechi said so far, encouraging progress has been made in sourcing financiers for the prioritized projects “as we have received expression of interest with potential and indicative financial models and business plan for their development.
🚄 Additionally, the ministry is concluding feasibility studies started in 2013 for other new lines including
⭕ Illela-Sokoto-Yelwa-Makera-Kontagora-Minna;
⭕ Ilorin-Okoyi-Batigi-Baro to link Itakpe-Abuja line, among others;
⭕ Kano-Dayi-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi in Niger. Others are
⭕ Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Lafia-Kuru-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri;
⭕ Calabar-Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja-Wukari-Yola-Maiduguri; and
⭕ Aba-Ikot Ekpene- Ibiano- Itu-Uyo-Odukpani-Calabar.
🚄 The minister explained that all the projects will be included in the 2018 appropriation in order to reach the goals of the Buhari administration in the development of our railways.
🚄 He disclosed that the government intends to use the 2018 budget to complete the ongoing Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri-Aladja railway project, which commenced 32 years ago.
🚄 According to him, counterpart funding will be required as Federal Government’s contribution for the financing of the Ibadan-Kano project and the Nigerian coastal line Lagos-Calabar project would commence this year.
🚄 On the 2017 budget, the minister informed that while a total capital provision of N152.527 billion was made for land transport, only N64.781 billion was released. He said the total of N20.310 billion has been expended as at January 2018."
💰This is ambitious but with committed leadership such as we have in Rt. Hon. CR Amaechi, that's the only way to connect all parts of Nigeria with rail lines. It will help in no small way to move goods, services and passengers across the nation faster and cheaper than now.
🚄 Let's watch as our rail system is transformed from the inherited locomotives in a few cities to modern RAILWAY network across the nation.
God bless Nigeria.
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Lauretta Onochie
@Laurestar
