KANO – KADUNA RAIL PROJECT: We Intend To Start Commercial Activity By May 2023- Amaechi
Oru Leonard
Minister of Transportation in Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has said that the Federal has the intention to start commercial activities on the Kano – Kaduna by May,rail 2023 if funding would be available.
He disclosed that there are financial challenges is making funding difficult because of economic downturn.
“The Chinese are not funding the way they used to do, it till now we are yet to conclude on loans for this project, so we are funding it from the budget.
“We are putting pressure on all the necessary institutions that used to give us funds. And hopefully, before May we will be able to get enough funds to complete this project.
“We agree that if we fund them, they must complete the work. They must do what they agree that they will do. The conversation with had with them is that that they must break this work into parts so that everybody will be working at the same time. If they do that I am sure that before May, 2023 we will have commercial activity on the track”, he stated.
He said the route will be used to convey both passengers and cargos. One of the most economic nerve centers in the country is Kano and Lagos. Why this track is the most economically viable track.
“The economic activities that takes place in Kano can be conveyed to Lagos viz a viz those who produce in Lagos can have their products conveyed to Kano. This will create jobs and the cost of land here will not be the same”, Amaechi noted.
On local content and quality of work; The Minister said government is encouraging not only the use of local materials but passing those kind of jobs to Nigerians. Not just about the economic benefits, it is not good for the Chinese to come here and we borrow 2 billion take the whole profit and go to their country. They should also spend part of it on the country.
“In terms of quality they are not doing badly, I don’t know if I should attribute that to the inspection by TEAM , but you must also credit CCECC, but what it means that they should not sleep. That is why we insist that TEAM must be present at every meeting. TEAM has the final say not the Minister.
“We insist the Chinese should bring enough equipment because what we suffered in Lagos Ibadan was because equipment was breaking down and they could nut palace orders for new ones but for this one, they should but all the equipment that they need so that as it breaks down they replace”, he
On intracity Rail Transportation; He said the two states likely to benefit from intra city rail transport are Rivers and Lagos states. The Lagos route the rail will take part of the city this way and part of the city that way same terminates in Calabar, the Port Harcourt rail will terminate in Maiduguri because way with Rivers state. You see. That at a point Lagos Calabar will have to meet with Port Harcourt Railway and run side by side inside some part of these major cities, he concluded.
