Nigeria: FEC approves USD 1.96 billion for development of Kano-Niger rail line

The Federal Executive Council, FEC has approved about USD 1.96 billion for the development of the proposed Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Jibia to Maradi rail line in the Niger Republic, according to a news report by Vanguard.

The Council also approved the sum of N745.2 million for the procurement of additional eight Field Forensic Auditors for the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and another N12.088 billion Umuahia/Bende/Ohafia road with a distance of 45 kilometers.

The approval was disclosed by the Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amechi, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC virtual meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing on the rail project, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amechi said that his ministry presented two memoranda that were approved by the council.

According to him, "Two memos for the Ministry of Transportation were approved by the council. The first one is the award of contract for the design, manufacture, supply, testing and commissioning of one railway crane of 150 ton capacity for emergency and recovery of rolling stocks.

"This is to sort out say situations of accident on the track. It is for a total cost of N3,049,544,000. That's the first memo that was approved for the Ministry of Transportation.

"The second one is the award of contract for the development of the proposed Kano-Katsina-Jibia to Maradi rail line in Niger Republic and to Dutse, the capital of Jigawa, for a total cost of USD 1,959,744,723.71, inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT."

It was gathered that the proposed rail line from Kano in Nigeria to Maradi in Niger Republic is to cover a track length of 248 kilometres and will pass through seven senatorial districts in the North.