FOLUSHO ALADE, ABUJA
Minister of State for Transport, SENATOR GBEMISOLA SARAKI has said that the IBADAN –KANO SEGMENT of the rail project will require about 4.4billion US dollars.
Speaking on the sidelines on Tuesday during a question and answer session with the Senate committee on local content, local and foreign debts, SARAKI reiterated the commitment of the Federal government and the Ministry of Transport to deliver a world class rail transport system to Nigeria.
SARAKI who earlier made a presentation to the committee on the need for more funding for the rail project said it is important for the Senate to grant approval for the 4.4billion loan required to execute the IBADAN-KANO phase of the rail project in order to deliver on the promises of PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI in line with the Next level agenda.
Also during the session, SARAKI assured the Panel that the LAGOS- IBADAN end of the rail project would be delivered by April-May, jokingly promising to take the distinguished Senators on a ride to mark her birthday in May.
When asked by journalists if the lawmakers were satisfied with her presentation for the proposed 4.4bilion US dollars loan.
The former Senator from Kwara State said she is convinced that the loans approval would be granted stating that the lawmakers were just being diligent in discharging their oversight functions.
In her words: “They didn’t say they were not satisfied, they only said they have more questions, you can understand that, lots of money is involved, so they just want to ensure everything is alright”
“Am sure at the end of it, the senate would approved. SARAKI concluded.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria approved the construction of the IBADAN-KANO rail line project in December 2019.
According to the technical report, the LAGOS–KANO STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY is an under construction standard gauge railway across Nigeria, from the Atlantic Ocean port of Lagos to Kano, near the Niger border.
The railway will run parallel to the British-built Cape gauge line, which has a lower design capacity and is in a deteriorated condition.
The railway is being built in segments. Only the segment between Abuja and Kaduna has been completed so far, and services began officially in July 2016.
