Rail Projects: Transportion Ministry Debunks Excluding South-east Zone

•  Says China Exim Bank loan to fund three segments of projects

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Transportation thursday debunked reports in some sections of the media that it excluded South-east geo-political zone from the federal government ongoing rail projects.

The ministry in a statement by its Director of Press, Mrs. Yetunde Sonaike, said the Southeast was never excluded from the rail projects.

Sonaike explained that the two major rail projects of the federal government are the coastal rail project which is from Lagos to Calabar traversing Lagos-Ore-Benin City-Sapele-Warri-Yenegoa with sidings to Otuoke, Port Harcourt, Aba, Uyo, Calabar and branch line from Benin-city, Abudu, Onitsha including Onitsha rail bridge.

According to her, “There is the Lagos -Kano rail project which traverses Lagos-Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oshogbo, Ilorin, Jebba, Minna, Kaduna, Zaria, Kano with branch line from Minna and Abuja and Abuja/Kaduna.”

She added that the loan from China Exim Bank would be used to fund the three segments from the two rail projects: “Lagos-Ibadan: Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan with extension to Apapa Port Complex (Segment two of Lagos – Kano. Secondly, Kano to Kaduna which is a segment 3A of Lagos – Kano). The third one is Calabar to Port Harcourt: Port Harcourt-Aba-Uyo-Calabar with extension to Onne Deep Sea Port (Segment 1 of the Coastal rail Line).
“From the foregoing, it can be deduced that the federal government rail projects touch various sections of the country and therefore no section is or will be left out.

“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari remains committed to serving the nation, and it is determined to reviving the rail infrastructure thereby ensuring ease of movement of people and cargoes within the country.
“The rail project is aimed at fast-tracking economic diversification as well as optimising the federal government change agenda in the transportation sector which will serve as an economic index for growth and development.”