Buhari’s govt approves contract for Lagos-Calabar coastal rail line
*To connect all coastal cities in Nigeria
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday 4th August, 2021 ratified the president’s approval for the award of contract for the $11.17bn Lagos – Calabar Coastal Standard Gauge rail project to link all coastal cities in Nigeria.
The Lagos – Calabar Coastal route alignment will go from Lagos to Sagamu, Sagamu to Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Ode to Ore, Ore to Benin City, Benin-City to Sapele, Sapele to Warri, Warri to Yenogoa, Yenegoa to Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt to Aba, Aba to Uyo, Uyo to Calabar, Calabar to Akamkpa to Ikom, Obudu Ranch with branch lines from Benin-City to Agbo, Ogwashi-ukwu, Asaba, Onitsha and Onitsha Bridge and then Port Harcourt to Onne Deep Sea Port.
The project is expected to be completed in six years.
The project was an old project inherited from the last Administration. Under the former administration, approval was given but nothing was done on the project.
The FEC also approved funding to ensure that work began immediately on the Kano – Jibia and the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri rail lines.
Recall that on the 10th March, 2021, the Federal Government kickstarted a $3 Billion rehabilitation and reconstruction of the 1,443-kilometer (897-mile) Eastern Railway line that starts from the South Southern oil hub of Port Harcourt and terminates at the North Eastern city of Maiduguri.
The rail line is expected to link Nigeria’s industrial and agriculture hubs, facilitating the easy movement of people, goods and services. When completed, it will connect Rivers, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno states.
The Federal Government is expected to provide about 15% of the $3 billion rehabilitation and reconstruction cost, while the balance will be provided by a syndicate of Chinese financiers.
