Buhari approves Kano-Daura, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail lines

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8 years ago

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a rail line from Kano to his hometown in Daura, Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, an online news medium, Cable NG, has reported.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, disclosed this at The Osasu Show Symposium — which bothers on the economy and its effects on the underprivileged — in Abuja on Friday.

According to Ameachi, the president also approved rail lines from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, Kano to Maiduguri, Makurdi to Jos, Gombe to Yobe to Borno and Jigawa to Niger Republic.

The minister said the transportation infrastructure in Nigeria had been mismanaged for many years and so much had to be done to restore the railway activities and drive the economy.

“GE came here and announced that they would give us 100 locomotives. Our narrow gauge can’t carry 17 locomotives, so by October 1st to October 2nd, we would be launching about six to 10 locomotives, because our narrow gauge can’t carry more than that,” Amaechi said.

“Government said ‘concession this narrow gauge’ and we have successfully done that to the extent that we are able to sign an agreement with GE. By October, GE will take over the narrow gauge and begin to run from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.

“When they stop at Umuahia, economic activities will be at Umuahia; the Umuahia station will become an economic hub. We the Ibos in Umuahia will be able to establish shops and sell goods we would like sell,” he added.