Mr Rotimi Chibuike Amechi, the honourable Minister of Transportation, has promised that the Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal rail line as well as the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project would be ready before the end of 2018. He made the promise while signing the memorandum of understanding for the project with the Chinese firm, china civil Engineering construction company (CECC) in Abuja.
The minister also confirmed that construction work will begin at the Lagos-Ibadan rail line before November 2016.
“I am told that before November, we can commence the Lagos-Ibadan construction.
“So, we can begin to count for CCECC in the case of Lagos-Ibadan from November, hoping that in November 2018, you should have finished work.’’
Mr Amechi said that the Federal Government would provide the counterpart fund for the project expected to cost 3.4 billion dollars.
Mr Jack Li, the Managing Director of CCECC, said that the project would be completed in record time and believe that the project when completed will not only benefit the people but the entire society.
He further gave an assurance that the Calabar-Port Harcourt Coastal rail line would be built in line with international standard.
“I want to give my commitment and assure you that on completion, the rail line will be as good as, or even better than the completed Abuja-Kaduna rail line which was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 26, 2016.