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Fri, Mar

Buhari Launches $3.2BN PortHarcourt-Maiduguri Railway Project

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President Muhammadu Buhari has on Tuesday launched the $3.2 billion rehabilitation and reconstruction of PortHarcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway project, Bonny deep seaport, and railway industrial park in PortHarcourt, Rivers State in efforts to revive the eastern railway corridor and improve the Nation’s economy.

The eastern rail track will stretch from PortHarcourt through the South-East, North-Central, and North-East in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.

The three projects will be executed and co-financed with 85 percent loan and the Federal Government’s 15 percent counterpart funding by a Chinese conglomerate led by Messrs CCECC Nigeria Limited with a total portfolio of $700 million.

President Buhari in a virtual groundbreaking ceremony said the projects when completed will reactivate the dormant economic activities in the eastern axis.

“The connection of the railway to a new seaport in Bonny Island and Railway Industrial Park, Port Harcourt is designed to increase the viability and boost trans-shipment of cargo and freight locally, across the West African sub-region and in the Continental Free Trade Area.

“The sum of the socio-economic and environmental benefits of these projects includes the creation of massive employment locally.

In addition, there will be further utilization of local contents and technology transfer, increase in internally generated revenue and would serve as a fulcrum for the achievement of the federal government planned integrated development master plan,” he said.

Buhari assured Nigerians that the projects when completed will raise the country on the economic global stage, urging that industrialists and business owners in the South-east region should take advantage of the infrastructure to expand their businesses.

“We are further expanding it to achieve contemporary demand for transport in the northeast and Southern geopolitical zones of the country.

It is also designed to link other standard gauge rail lines under construction through the provision of trans-shipment centers.”

According to the president, the Bonny seaport and railway industrial park will be constructed through investments from Chinese partners.

“This improved port is designed to be a regional and international transport hub. In line with the global trends, the Railway Industrial Park will have the capability for processing exports of raw materials with value addition and also export of locally made goods.

“In planning this project, prudent use of resources has been given priority, as, by this endeavor, Nigeria will retrieve the old narrow gauge that has been lying in neglect for years and bring it to fully functional state commensurate to a national railway service at a rational price,” he said.

Also, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said the rail line will run at 60-80 kilometers per hour and 80-100 kilometers per hour for freight and passenger respectively.

“In this regard, the rail line connection from Enugu to Awka-Onitsha and Abakaliki is undergoing necessary feasibility studies and preparation of conceptual design,” the minister said.

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