The Federal Government has approved the $5.3billion for the standard gauge rail project from Ibadan to Kano.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who made the disclosure on Thursday in Lagos at the third Maritime Stakeholders Interactive Forum also stated that the Minister of state, transportation, Gbemisola Saraki will be in charge of all maritime agencies while he will concentrate on the Railway sector.
He said, “There are two things I discussed with Mr. President that I will be focusing on in this second term as Minister, and they are maritime security and the Single Window project.
“I have assured the government that by the end of 2020, we should have the Single Window at our Maritime sector.
“Just yesterday, we got approval to complete the $5.3billion Ibadan to Kano rail project. We have also applied for funding to commence coastal rail for the Port-Harcourt to Warri segment.”
“In my first term as Minister, I completely abandoned the maritime sector to the Heads of agencies.
“This term around, that won’t be happening again as I have instructed that the Honourable Minister of Transportation for State should personally supervise the maritime agencies, while I just oversight what is happening.
The former Rivers state governor who said that security in the sector remains his top priority, revealed he has complained to the Israeli firm, HSLI handling maritime security that “they are too slow.”
According to him, the firm should have launched by now.
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