… To approve $5.3billion by October
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed that China has released $1.6billion for Lagos-Ibadan railway and would approve $5.3bn for Nigeria’s railway construction by this October.
He stated this on Friday June 12 during a special broadcast on Channels Television to mark the nation’s Democracy Day.
“China has released $1.6billion for the Lagos-Ibadan railway and is expected to approve $5.3billion by October. The Chinese government and the Chinese people have been very helpful to Nigeria,” says Amaechi.
Explaining how helpful China had been, the minister added that they agreed to approve (and) we hope that by October they should be able to approve the $5.3billion for the Federal Government of Nigeria to start and complete the construction of the Ibadan-Kano railway.
“The Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway is an under construction standard gauge railway across Nigeria, from the Atlantic Ocean port of Lagos to Kano near the Niger border,” he said.
The railway, Amaechi continued, would run parallel to the British-built Cape gauge line, which has a lower design capacity and is in a deteriorated condition.
He noted: “The railway is being built in segments. Only the segment between Abuja and Kaduna has been completed so far, and services began officially in July 2016.”
While highlighting further, the minister said the 187km segment is an important junction point on the existing Cape gauge railway network, where a branch line departs the Lagos-Nguru line for Kafanchan, on the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway.
Having listed the funds pledged and released, the minister commended the Chinese government. He lauds, “The Republic of China and the Chinese people have been very helpful to the Federal Government following the disbursement of cash to fund infrastructure, especially railway”.
