Transport officials confident that the Lagos-Ibadan railway link will create 7,000 new jobs

SENATORS working on Nigeria's railway network have expressed confidence that the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway line currently being constructed will create about 7,000 jobs and help stimulate the local economy.

Under plans to revive Nigeria's comatose railway network, the federal government has begun work on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which it hopes to expand to other parts of the country. Senator Gbenga Ashafa, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, recent paid a visit to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, where he expressed confidence that the project would be of immense economic benefit.

Senator Ashafa said: “We are confident that the Lagos to Kano and Calabar to Lagos railway modernisation projects would in no small way reinvigorate Nigeria’s economy through creation of about 7,000 jobs. On our part as senators holding the mandate of our constituents, we are totally committed to assisting the executive arm in the actualisation of every developmental project within our purview.”

He added that the visit was to assist the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt assess the project implementation plan for the recently approved loan request by the federal government from the China Exim Bank. According to him, the loan is to be accessed for the purpose of completing various railway rehabilitation and construction projects across the country.

“The focus of this visit is to immediately set in perspective of our commitment to ensuring a high level of accountability in public expenditure. As such, the bulk of this joint committee’s work lies particularly in the areas that concern activities of the ministry of transport and all relevant stakeholders in the expenditure of the loan.

“As requested, the sum of $5.85bn being the total approved loan, would be expended on modernisation of Lagos to Kano, Lagos to Ibadan and Calabar to Lagos segments," he added.

Senator Shehu Sani, the chairman of the committee on local and foreign debts said that the project was in the 2016-2018 external borrowing rolling plan recently approved by the senate. He added that the rail project had the potential to fast-track the nation’s economic growth, provide gainful employment to teeming youths and add to the overall development of the country.

Leo Yin, the project coordinator of the Chinese Civil Engineer Construction Company, said the major challenge facing the project presently was the recent continuous rainfall. He added that plans have been put in place by the company to deliver and hand over the project at the appointed time.

Transport minister Rotimi Amaechi, had said that federal government would ensure the completion of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail services by December 2018. He recently promised that the federal government was making all efforts to ensure the completion of the project as scheduled.