TheCable

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the $1.2 billion Kaduna-Kano standard gauge rail project will be flagged off in two weeks.

Amaechi announced this during a ministerial media briefing organised by the presidential communications team in Abuja on Friday.

The federal government approved the Kaduna-Kano railway project in January 2017.

Amaechi had said the federal government will borrow less than N100 billion for the project.

He said while awaiting the Chinese government’s loan, one-third of the project will be funded from the federal government’s budget.

At the briefing, Amaechi said the federal government has committed $280 million to the project and will soon provide a further $100 million.

He also said the federal government and China have signed an agreement for the construction of a rail component manufacturing factory in Kajola, Ogun state due to be inaugurated this year.

On the issue of vandalism of railway equipment, he said it could cause train derailment as well as kill passengers, adding that the act is also causing the country sums of money in foreign currency to replace.

The minister said applying stringent laws will curb the menace, he, therefore, proposed that anyone caught in the act should be charged with manslaughter.

Amaechi further said 300 Nigerians have been sponsored to understudy rail technology in China and will be absorbed into the ministry of transportation upon completion of their study.