Less than 24 hours after Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, delivered a major address Wednesday that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave approval of $1.96 billion for the construction of a rail line to link Kano, Dutse, Katsina and Maradi in Niger Republic.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, via his verified Twitter handle, @GarShehu, on Thursday, publicly contradicted key details from the minister’s address.
Shehu tweeted: “Nigeria isn’t building rail line into Niger but, only to the designated Border point.
Amaechi, on Wednesday while briefing State House Correspondents at the 16th FEC meeting, told newsmen that the council approved the project.
“An agreement between Nigeria and Niger in 2015, coordinated by the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation has a plan for “Kano-Katsina-Maradi Corridor Master Plan, (K2M)” as it is called.
“Going by this, the two nations would each build a rail track to meet at the border town of Maradi, said Shehu.
“Nigerian delegates to that meeting comprised officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Boundaries Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources as well as those of Kano & Katsina states.
“The objective of the rail is the harnessing of raw materials, mineral resources and agricultural produce.
“When completed, it will serve domestic industries and play the role of a a viable transportation backbone to the West African subregion, starting with the neighboring Niger Republic for their export and import logistic chain.”
Maradi is the second largest city in Niger Republic and the administrative centre of Maradi Region and also the seat of the Maradi Department.
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