FG approves $3.02bn for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the cost of the project was put at $3.02billion.

The minister added that the council also approved the construction of a deep seaport at Bonny and a railway industrial park in Port Harcourt at the cost of $703.1million.

He, however, said the projects would be funded through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Amaechi revealed that the industrial park would cost $241.2million while $461.9million has been earmarked for the Bonny Deep Seaport project.

He said: “The Federal Executive Council has approved the award of contracts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway, with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.

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“The council also approved the construction of a new deep seaport in Bonny, under PPP and the construction of a railway industrial park in Port Harcourt.

“The railway line will be at the cost of $3,020,279,549. The industrial park, which is under PPP, at no cost to the Federal Government, will cost $241,154,389.31. The Bonny deep seaport will cost $461,924,369, at no cost to the Federal Government.

“The Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge railway will have new branch lines. Port Harcourt to Bonny and from Port Harcourt to Owerri are the new lines.

“There is another connecting the narrow gauge to standard gauge at Kafanchan. There is a branch line from Gombe or before Maiduguri to Damaturu and Gashau.”

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