By Seun Ibiyemi
The Federal government has said that the African Development Bank (AFDB) is set to release a whooping sum of $350million loan for the construction of Kano to Maradi railway linkage.
The Chairman Senate committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero said when speaking to press during an oversight visit to Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor on Monday.
Senator Aliero said that the current government is during everything to make sure that all states is linked to rail.
He said ” we have inspect Kano-Kaduna Rail Construction, which is being handled by CCECC and also Kano-Maradi, today we are on Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor to see for ourselves”.
“let me assure you that the committee is willing and committed in making sure that the NRC meets its mandate by providing all the legislative support we are supposed to give to the NRC”.
“Just recently, the supplementary appropriation bill was brought to the National Assembly. And in that supplementary bill, which the National Assembly passed into law, we had over 530 billion naira, which is meant to be counterpart funding for railway modernization and rehabilitation in Nigeria”.
That amount is supposed to be counterpart funding. 85% of the funding is going to be sourced from outside, either from China Exim Bank, IFC or from African Development Bank. He said
Senator Aliero said the president of the African Development Bank told us that 350 million US dollars will be released to the federal government of Nigeria for the construction of a rail line between Kano to Maradi.
Equally, the president, Bolaji Ahmed Tinubu was in China, where negotiations were done to release the 85% funding for a burden to Kano”.
We are impressed with what we have seen so far, from Lagos to Abeokuta, Abeokuta to Ibadan”.
Even though we have not reached up to Ibadan, but we have been informed very reliably by the active managing director that the rail line is now working from Lagos to Ibadan.
The Lagos-Ibadan rail has been linked to the seaport, which is very important, Apapa in particular. we have equally been told that about 14 services, which Nigerian Railway Corporation is providing and freight services which is providing.
In particular, freight services being provided to Ibadan, to Lagos, Kano to Lagos, Funtua to Apapa port. Equally important is Port Harcourt to Aba and others
In particular, Lagos to Ibadan, Itape to Warri, which was suspended for over 30 years and completed during President Muhammadu Bahari time.
We were at kajola. We spent close to about one hour there. We are highly impressed with the technical services being provided by the CCECC and they are transferring technology to Nigerians to ensure that even after their departure, Nigerians will be able to maintain the locomotives and coaches.
So this is the kind of thing we want. The maintenance culture will be imbibed by Nigerians. Nigerian engineers have come from Egypt.
They are as competent as Chinese engineers and European engineers. All it requires is to get them on the job training to improve their technical capacity. So we are very, very impressed with what we have seen.
While speaking on the road network linkage to rail terminals, senator Aliero said, the constitution of Nigeria has been altered so that the railway, which used to be an exclusive reserve for the federal government, is now going into the concurrent legislative list. Which means both the state and the federal government can legislate on railway.
And with that amendment, states are now allowed to establish their own rail line. But the Nigerian Railway Corporation, will be the regulator to ensure security and standard. And on the issue of roads, certainly complementary services are expected to be provided by the state government.
I wish to call on state governors to do their own duty by providing accessibility to railway stations. It is not desirable to have a railway station in your state. Thousands and thousands of people have been transported. He said
Other senators members of the Senate Committee on Land Transport at the inspection includes Sen Benson Friday Kombowei Vice Chairman, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli, Sen. Tony Nwoye, Sen. Kelvin Chukwu, Sen. Plang Dicket and Clerk of the Committee, Solomon Jokotoye.