President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Ministries of Transportation and Finance to conclude financial arrangements with appropriate co- financiers that will patner with the Federal Government for the construction of West- East Coastal rail line from Lagos to Calabar linking some major cities in South East and South-South
The President gave the directive at the virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the Kano-Katsina-Jibiya- Maradi rail line in Abuja on Tuesday,
Buhari said the West- East Coastal rail line would connect Onitsha, Benin,Warri,Yenegoa,Port Harcourt,Aba and Uyo.
He said” contract for the important Central Railway traversing Itakpe-Baro-Abuja with connection to Lokoja and a new seaport in Warri has been signed and I’d expected to achieve appreciable level of completion during the tenure of this administration”
The President noted that the cities of Jibiya and Maradi constitute a significant trading relationship between Nigeria and Niger Republic-a tradition dating back many centuries.
He explained that the infrastructure line wll establish an end- to- end logistic supply chain in railway transport services between Northern and Southern regions of the country reaching Nigerian Southern ports of Lagos and Warri.
According to him, “the entire route encompasses territory inhabited by close to 80 million people across 10 states of the country.
“This project has a branch line to Dutse, the capital of Jigawa state to open up this corridor which is endowed with vast resources.”
Buhari said the Maradi rail route would significantly enhance movement of freight and passengers, from both countries and would direct foreign revenue to the country through import and export of goods for Niger Republic and other countries in the sub- region as well as foster Trans Sahara trade through Nigeriian ports.
The President commended Messrs Mota-Engil Nigeria Limited, the construction company handling the project for supporting knowledge and technology transfer by investing in the establishment of an institution for Transportation and Railway Science.
In his address, the Minister for Transportation,Rtd Hon. Rotimi Amaechi said the feasibility study for the Kano-Maradi railway started in 2012, and was concluded by 2015, .
He thanked the president for support and regular intervention.
