Lagos-Calabar Railway Line Project timeline and all you need to know

Lagos-Calabar Railway line, which is also known as the West-East Coastal rail line is a rail infrastructure project that is planned for development in Nigeria to link Lagos, the largest and capital city of the West African republic located in the south-west region to Calabar, a port city in the south-east region, near the border with the neighboring republic of Cameroon.

The project was first launched in 2014 but to date has not seen the light of day with proposed funding moving from the Chinese to Standard Bank. It then was put on hold by the govenment before recent hopes of revival being reported earlier this year with indications that the Chinese civil Engineering construction company (CCECC) would be taking on the project.

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What the project entails

The project involves the construction of a total of 1,402 kilometers of railway line in addition to railway platforms, 22 railway stations including ancillary facilities, administrative space, and level crossings. Other works include the installation of safety systems, electrical systems, lighting systems, and signaling systems, as well as the laying of tracks and electricity lines.

Cutting across Calabar, Uyo, Aba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Otuoke, Ughelli, Warri, Sapele, Benin, Agbor, Asaba, Onitsha, Ore, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, and Lagos, the project is planned to be implemented in two phases. The first phase will run between Calabar and Port Harcourt, while the second phase will run between Port Harcourt and Lagos through Onitsha.

Let us review the projects timeline from inception to date

Project timeline

2014

In July the Lagos-Calabar Railway Line Project received necessary approvals from Federal Executive Council (FEC).

In November, the Federal Ministry of Transport signed an agreement to build the Lagos to Calabar railway line with China Railway Construction Corp. Ltd. (CRCC).

2016

In February, the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China, one of three institutional banks in China chartered to implement the state policies in the industry, foreign trade, economy, and foreign aid to other developing countries, and provide policy financial support so as to promote the export of Chinese products and services, agreed to finance a part of the project.

2017

In April, the Federal Government of Nigeria approved the project plans and announced that it was finalizing a binding deal.

In September, CRCC expressed its inability to fund the Lagos-Calabar rail project.

2021

While delivering the 34th convocation lecture of the University of Calabar in March, Chibuike Amaechi, the federal Minister of Transportation disclosed that the government was going to sign a loan agreement for the commencement of the project and before the end of the year, contractors would move to site.

In July he revealed that the London-based Standard Chartered Bank had agreed to fund the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail with US$11bn out of the US$14.4bn needed for the implementation of the project.

In August, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the ratification of the award of a contract worth US$ 11,174,769,721.74 for the implementation of the project.

2022

In 2022 the project remained in limbo prompting the House of Representatives to urge the government to proceed with the project which had been halted by the Federal Ministry of Transportation that year. This was despite funding having been secured from Standard Chartered Bank.

May 2024

In May this year it was reported that the project was now being handled by the Works Ministry with funding being eyed to come from China and the Federal Government. A government official is reported to have indicated that the government was in talks with the Chinese civil Engineering construction company (CCECC)