New Railway Lines Underway, Transport Minister Says

Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, Idris Umar said on Saturday that construction of new railway lines across the country would be executed through Public-Private Partnership (PPP), the News Agency of Nigeria reported. He said, “Nigeria has to be in tune with other countries of the world that have allowed the private sector to strive and play a key role, with the country providing the enabling environment which we have done. “As you are aware, the Lagos-Kaduna has been revived with the train now back on track. The rather moribund railway system has been revived with the trains now back on track from Lagos to Kano. We are assiduously pursuing the rehabilitation of the entire Eastern narrow gauge made up of 3,505 km. We are concentrating on bringing back to life the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri line, which starts from Port Harcourt -Enugu-Makurdi-Lafia-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri.” “We hope that by the end of this year, the trains will be back on track on the Western line. While that is going on, we are equally and assiduously constructing the standard gauge line with a view to bringing the modernisation of the railway system into Nigeria. So, we are seriously considering the construction of the Abuja-Kaduna, which has attained 65 per cent construction level.” the minister said. He also said that “the Ajaokuta-Warri is expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year, having reached more than 77 per cent completion level.” He said the “contract for the Lagos-Ibadan double tract has been signed,” and added that “before the end of the year, the contractors will be mobilised to site as soon as we complete arrangements with China EXIM Bank.”