Sea ports in Nigeria will be reconnected with railway transport system Federal Government has announced. Making the announcement during a meeting with the port professionals in Lagos, Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi said that the move is aimed at boosting economic activities in the country.
The FG has as well resolve to diversify the economy that has brought to the front burner the need to implement the inter-modal means of transportation in the country. According to Minister Amaechi, the government is working constantly to revive the country’s economy, especially the implementation of the 2016 budget.
However, the construction of the Lagos-Kano, and possibly the Lagos-Calabar railway project is expected to commence by June or July 2016. Nonetheless, employment opportunities will be increased as well as boosting the economy activities for the nation.
When the railway-sea port project is completed, the country will be able to import from Port Harcourt sea port, Calabar sea port, Warri Sea Port among other sea ports in the country.
Apapa and Tin Can railways will experience termination in order to encourage inter-modal means of transportation in the country. In this case, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that the country received the right amount of revenue from the system, i.e. knowing how much is coming in and how much is being spent.
In December last year the Minister of Transport and former Rivers State governor flagged off Aba-Port Harcourt railway transport.
The Abuja-Kaduna railway line is one of the first Standard Gauge Railway Modernization Projects (SGRMP) to be undertaken in Nigeria. The standard gauge line connects the federal capital city Abuja with its commercial capital Kaduna, which has ease movement of goods and people between the two cities. The project started in February 2011 and was completed in December 2014.
China Civil and Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), executed the Abuja-Kaduna railway line project. As a concessionary loan for the project, China’s EXIM bank provided US$500m out of the total cost of US$874m while the remaining amount was provided by Nigeria’s Federal Government.
The company is also constructing the Lagos Rail Mass Transit System in Nigeria. The project employed approximately 4,000 people and is expected to create more than 5,000 additional jobs during operation.
