Nigeria will see through a railway project from the northern state of Kano to Maradi in neighbouring Niger, started by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the country’s new transport minister has said.
The minister, Ahmed Alkali, said he was satisfied with the level of work on the standard gauge rail and the government was committed to its timely completion.
“We are fully committed in ensuring timely completion of the ongoing Kano – Jigawa – Maradi rail line project, aimed at boosting the economy of the Nigeria and Niger republic,” Alkali told journalists Friday at Dadin Kowa in Kazaure local government area of Jigawa shortly after inspecting the project.
The $2 billion project has been criticised by some in Nigeria who question the economic importance of building a costly rail to another country when Nigeria’s own domestic lines remain underdeveloped.
A signature project of the Buhari government, the plan was dogged by lack of funding after Chinese funders dithered.
In July, Portuguese construction company Mota-Engil said it signed a contract for the supply and financing of the 400-km railway’s rolling stock worth about US$916 million.
Mota-Engil, Portugal’s biggest builder, said the delivery and commissioning of the rolling stock would occur over the next 48 months.
Meeting the timeline
Mr Alkali said with the speed at which the project is going, hopefully the contactors would meet the target of timely completion by 2025.
“The $2 billion project awarded by former President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to be completed at the set agreed project target year of 2025,” he said.
“The earth work of the project has reached 80 per cent stage, while real rail line work would soon commence after the earth works.
The lead contractor, Vladislav Bystrenko, said the contract sum was $1.95 billion signed in 2021.
He said it was clear the government is serious and desirous of completing the project by 2025.
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