We’ve Plans For Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway, Says Amaechi

MINISTER of Transportation , Rotimi Amaechi, has revealed plans by the Federal Government to construct the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri rail line.

Amaechi said the President had also approved the building of two new seaports ; one in Bonny , Rivers State and the other in Warri , Delta State.

The minister expressed the assurances of President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd. ) to reconstruct the entire stretch of the rail line with a spur to a railway industrial park in Port Harcourt , which he said, had been added to the design .

Amaechi spoke during the Deloitte in dialogue : Nigeria Economic Outlook 2020 , held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, Tuesday, on the topic , “ Railway Infrastructure : Progress and Plan . ”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, he said, “ We will provide railway from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. The President has assured me . We are discussing and announcement would be made on the project soon.

“ The President has also approved the construction of two new seaports, one in Bonny and another in Warri .

The first deep seaport we’ ll have in Nigeria is already being built in Lekki.

“ There is one being proposed by the Akwa Ibom State Government . I think they call it Ibom Seaport . I ’ ve told them to bring it and I ’ ll give them all the backing they need.

“ I tell people that this government is by far more business friendly. We would leave as much infrastructure for Nigeria . ”

On improving transportation of goods and services across the country, the minister said, “ Nigerians are mostly particular about human transportation , how they can commute from Lagos to Ibadan daily .

“ But the most important is actually for moving cargo to enhance productivity . Lagos to Kano rail is capable of moving 30 million tonnes of Cargo from Lagos to Kano, while Port Harcourt to Maiduguri can take 11 million tonnes of cargo .

“ We will also look at policy to ensure that after building the railways, there are certain cargoes that will not be allowed on the roads , to encourage movement of cargo on the rail lines and to ensure that our roads last longer .

“ Moving cargo across the country through rail would be cheaper and faster than the roads . ”

Amaechi added that the just completed Warri- Itakpe rail line, which was the first standard gauge rail line in Nigeria was started about 34 years ago .

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