Over 20,000 Nigerians engaged for Lagos-Ibadan rail project —Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said on Monday over 20,000 workers were engaged for the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Ibadan rail project.

He said the engagement was in compliance with the local content law inherent in the $1.6 billion contract agreement between Nigeria and China.

The minister made the clarification at a public hearing in Abuja, while responding to concerns by the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements on the non-compliance with the local content requirement in the execution of the project.

He said: “There are over 20,000 Nigerian workers employed for the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project, only 560 of the workers on that project are Chinese.

“Most materials for the project are also locally sourced, except for those that were manufactured outside Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Lagos-Ibadan rail project has reached 90% completion –Govt

“We have over 150 Nigerians being trained as Engineers in China. The Chinese had also built two training institutions for us, one at Idu and the other one is the Transportation University in Daura, Katsina State.”

He also rejected claim by the chairman of the committee, Nicholas Ossai, that the present administration had awarded $33 billion contract in the transport sector.

Amaechi said: “Mr. Chairman, there is no $33 billion contract in the Ministry of Transportation.

“What we have is $1.6 billion contract awarded by this government for Lagos-Ibadan, for which the Chinese government is providing $1.2 billion and we are providing the remaining $400million.”

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