FG, Portuguese builder sign $1.95bn Kano-Maradi rail project MoU

The Federal Government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Portuguese construction firm, Mota-Engil Group, for the construction of $1.959 billion Kano-Maradi standard gauge railway line.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, signed on behalf of the Federal Government while the Managing Director, Mota-Engil, Antonio Gvoea, signed on behalf of the firm.

“Today, we signed the contract documents for the commencement of the Kano-Maradi, Kano-Dutse railway project,” Amaechi wrote in a tweet.

Mota-Engil, Portugal’s largest builder, had also agreed to build a university as part of the agreement, he added.

A statement by the Director of Press of the Ministry of Transportation, Eric Ejiekwe, also quoted the minister as saying the new railway corridor located in northern Nigeria would run through three states: Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and through Niger territory to Maradi.

Other cities that will be affected by the rail line in Nigeria, according to him, are Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.

Amaechi said, “The 283.750 kilometre rail line, besides developing freight and passenger transport as it will be integrated with road transport, will make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.”

The project will be executed within 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.

The signing ceremony was also witnessed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalene Ajani; Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh; Head of Legal, Mota-Engil Group, Cameron Beverley; and Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada; among others.

The rail project is part of the plans by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to build rail networks across Nigeria to address the poor transport infrastructure that has stunted economic growth for decades.