Negotiations ongoing to Commence Port Harcourt –Maiduguri  Rail Line -Amaechi

Plans are underway by the federal government to begin the construction of the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail line,

This was disclosed by the Minister of Transportation, Rt.  Hon Chibuike  Rotimi Amaechi in  Abuja, Monday.

Amaechi explained that negotiations are already ongoing with the Chinese Government to begin the project. He also revealed that the Federal Government will continue its negotiations with Russians for the commencement of the Lagos-Calabar Rail Project.

According to him, “The six geo-political zones are all covered, Port Harcourt –Maiduguri covered  Port Harcourt, Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, Enugu, Abakaliki, Awka, Markurdi, Lafia, Akwanga Jos, Bauchi Gombe and connects  to Yobe Damaturu and then Maiduguri.

“The Lagos- Calabar is the whole of the South-South.  We have Lagos coming through Akure, Benin and  then from Benin we have a spot leading to Agbor and Asaba and then to Onitsha and then you continue to Benin to Ughelii, Warri, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Aba, Uyo and Calabar that takes care of the South-South while Port Harcourt – Maiduguri takes care of the South East and the North East.

“The Lagos-Kano also takes care of South West and part of the North West, and  North Central. The central line that starts from Abuja also takes care of the North Central,  Kogi, and also takes care of kwara and all of these requires money”, he said.

While also acknowledging Nigeria’s rising borrowing profile as expressed by the Ministry of Finance, Amaechi explained that the construction of the rail lines across the country required huge capital.

‘’If  we can’t get money enough for the new once we can as well borrow money to rehabilitate the old ones.

Currently what  we now have as  functional lines,  Lagos-Ibadan 156km, Abuja-Kaduna 186km and Itakpe-Warri which is  about 350km all put together Under this Government we have recorded a total  about 600+km of railway and by the time we complete Ibadan-kano which is about 860km, we will be having 1500+km railway constructed by this Government

“I hope that the next government that will take over from us will be able to do something in that regard to progress the railway, because even if we finish Lagos-Kano, we still need to finish Lagos-Calabar and Port Harcourt –Maduguri,” he stated.

(HMT Media)