The federal government has announced plans to build international rail lines that would connect Nigeria with neighbouring countries.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, made this known at a seminar in Abuja, while speaking on the strategy being adopted by the ministry in the rail sector.
Amaechi, whose speech was read by the ministry’s Director of Media, Yetunde Sonaike, said the Federal Government was working assiduously to implement the 25-year railway master plan.
He stated that in the plan, the Federal Government “would complete the total rehabilitation of all the narrow gauge rail lines and put them to use. The Federal Government is currently discussing with General Electric on the concession agreement.
“The government will construct and complete some standard gauge lines in selected corridors across the country, like the Itakpe-AJaokuta-Warri rail line, and undertake various visibility studies with a view to connecting all state capitals, agricultural and industrial clusters by rail.
“Government will also make provision for some international linkages by rail to our neighbouring nations, thus leveraging the ECOWAS arrangement and other continental protocols.”
The minister, however, did not mention the neighbouring countries being considered by the Federal Government to be connected with Nigeria by rail.
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