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World Bank to Fund Nigeria-Niger Link Road
Eromosele Abiodun
In a bid to enhance the free movement of human capital, goods and services, the federal government has flagged off the construction of four stretches of cross-border road in the Nigeria and Niger territories.
The Secretary General of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission for Co-Operation, Ambassador Abubakar Adduljalil-Sulaiman, disclosed this monday during the meeting of the committee of experts on transport (road, rail and maritime).
He said the transport sector which the committee is responsible for constitutes a powerful vector of progress and development of the economies of Nigeria and Niger.
“This effort is for the well-being of our populations. It also helps, to a large extent, to achieve the key objective of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) which is the free movement of people capital, goods and services and thereby strengthening the secured relations of cooperation and good neighborliness between our two peoples.
“The Transport sector is of capital importance for the social economic development of our two countries. It is also for this reason that your commission was authorised to hold two meetings in the year 2016. I am happy to note that since the establishment of your committee, it has done remarkable works, which have helped to achieve a highly appreciable works, which have helped to achieve a highly appreciable record as the intensification of road networks linking the two countries, the introduction of multiple construction of tarred, asphalted and divers roads projects, and work is also going on in the areas of rail link and air transport, “he said.
On the list of secondary roads, he said concrete and substantial achievement has been recorded following the willingness of authorities in Nigeria and Niger.
“In the area of rail links, your committee is working on the follow-up of the projects for the construction of the three ways, namely: Kaura Namoda-Sokot, Konni, Kano, Magaria, Zinder and Kano-Dayi and Katsina-Jinbiya. The rail links are very dear to President Muhammadu Issoufou of Niger Republic. The realisation of these rail-links therefore will, no doubt, boost and significantly develop the economic activities in both countries. Also, it will significantly improve the living conditions of our populations, thereby creating jobs and stamping out idleness and revolt among our teeming jobless and restless youths, “he stated.
