TheCable

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says the Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri rail line will cut across six states of Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Gombe, Adamawa and Yobe.

Addressing journalists on Friday, the minister said the rail line will cover a total of 2,000 kilometres.

In August, Amaechi said President Muhammadu Buhari approved the rail line alongside the ones of Kano to Daura, in Katsina state; Kano to Maiduguri, Makurdi to Jos, and Jigawa to Niger Republic.

Speaking after inaugurating the board of parastatals under the ministry, in Abuja, the minister said the federal government is currently working on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line.

He said the contracts of the line from Ibadan to Kaduna and Kaduna to Kano had been awarded.

“We have forwarded our documents for the loan to the China Nexim Bank hoping they will give us loan this year for us to commence construction,” he said.

“We are negotiating for the contract of Port Harcourt to Maiduguri which is about 2,000 kilometres because it has to take a spur from Owerri through Nnewi and Awka and then from there to Abakiliki, while proceeding on to Gombe where we take a spur to Yobe, I think we got up to Yola, and then to Borno.”

Amaechi said the rail lines will ease transport difficulties between Kaduna and Abuja and that “a lot of people scared of road accidents will now use the rail.”

While inaugurating the board members, the minister urged them to put in their best while on their respective posts.