FG approves $3.02bn for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line reconstruction

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved $3.02bn for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja at the end of the weekly meeting of the council presided over by the President Muhammadu Buhari.

The minister said, “The Federal Executive Council has approved the award of contracts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway, with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.

“The council also approved the construction of a new deep seaport in Bonny, under PPP and the construction of a railway industrial park in Port Harcourt.

“The railway line will be at the cost of $3,020,279,549. The industrial park, which is under PPP, at no cost to Federal Government, will cost $241,154,389.31. The Bonny deep seaport will cost $461,924,369, at no cost to the Federal Government.

“The Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge railway will have new branch lines: from Port Harcourt to Bonny and from Port Harcourt to Owerri are new lines.

“There is another connecting to narrow gauge to standard gauge at Kafanchan. There is a branch line from Gombe or before Maiduguri to Damaturu and Gashau.”

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the council approved the establishment of the Nigeria Correctional Service shoe, garment, and leather processing factories in Aba, Abia State, as well as Janguza, Kano State.

He said, “The benefit, beside the employment of Nigerians, is the opportunity for training of the inmates of our correctional facilities in Janguza, Kano State and Aba in Abia State.

“The contract for full business skills compliance certificate is given to Messrs LG Investment Limited, a Nigerian company which is partnering with a Chinese company, Full Technology Incorporated from Beijing, China.”