The Federal Government’s massive rail projects including Nigeria to Niger Republic is to gulp N67.1 billion.
The core seven rail projects across the country and the Kano to Maradi in the Niger Republic line have been captured in the 2020 budget.
According to the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the N67 billion is the federal government’s counterpart fund for the rail projects.
The projects include the construction of a deep seaport, industrial park, and port harbour.
The projects are Lagos-Kano, Calabar – Lagos, Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Aladja (Warri) and Port Harcourt – Maiduguri, Kano-Katsina-Jibiya -Maradi in Niger Republic and Abuja-Itakpe and Aladja (Warri) rail lines.
Others are Warri port and refinery, including Warri new harbor; Bonny deep seaport and Port Harcourt industrial park.
On water transportation, the ministry will spend N500 million to clear water hyacinths, floating debris and wastes among others, along the Lagos waterways from Agbara to Epe.
PerSecondnews recalls that the ministry under the leadership of Mr Rotimi Amaechi as minister has changed the face of rail system in the country since the Buhari administration came on board in 2015.
In December 2019, Amaechi had announced free train ride from Iju in Lagos to Ibadan for Nigerians as test-run towards its completion later this year.
Work is still in progress on the Iju-Apapa standard gauge.
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