President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday commissioned the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge train service, 10 years after an agreement was signed between Nigeria and a Chinese firm to build a standard gauge rail network across Nigeria.
The railway project has survived three administrations, as it was conceived by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, commenced by the Goodluck Jonathan administration and commissioned by the Buhari-led government.
Commissioning the train service, shortly before taking a ride in it, Buhari assured Nigerians that his administration would implement the 25 Year Strategic Railway Master Plan, aimed at rehabilitating the existing 3,505km narrow gauge rail line and developing and constructing new standard gauge rail lines across the country.
“As we celebrate the symbolic return of rail service today, I wish to reiterate the commitment of this administration to pursue with greater vigour and determination rehabilitation and construction of other rail lines including the major Lagos-Calabar and Kano-Lagos lines,” Buhari said.
The President noted that the Abuja-Kaduna train service would provide the much needed alternative transport link between the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna State, a corridor that has a huge potential for industries, agricultural activities and a growing labour force.
He assured Nigerians that most state capitals and major commercial and production centres would be linked with railway system, “as a way of bringing about rapid socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of Nigerians and promoting social and regional integration.”
It is on record that between 1963 and early ‘80s, Nigeria had a vibrant rail system that conveyed agricultural and livestock, and solid mineral resources to Lagos and Port Harcourt seaports from where they were exported to other parts of the world. It is our vision and hope that those good old days will soon be back with us and indeed in a more prosperous way with the restoration of rail transport system, which today’s occasion symbolises.
The agreement for the construction was signed between the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Chinese firm, CCEC, for the construction Lagos-Kano and Port Harcourt – Maiduguri, and the Lagos-Calabar lines to replace existing lines at a cost of $8.3 billion, over a 25-year period.
The project was later renegotiated by the Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan administration, which saw the inclusion of the Abuja-Kaduna line. The contract for the Abuja-Kaduna standard rail project was awarded in 2010, while construction in 2011.
Senate president, Bukola Saraki, in his goodwill message, commended Buhari and his team for bringing the project to completion. As Nigeria makes efforts to achieve its vision of becoming one of the 20 top economies by year 2020, Saraki noted, “The 20 most developed nations in the world conduct movement of 70 percent of their goods and services via rail systems.”
Rotimi Ameachi, transport minister, in his opening remarks, noted that the train service that had been on a trial run between June and July trial conveying commuters for free was expected to impart on housing, as the poor could live in Kaduna and work in Abuja. He said it was the expectation of government that once maintained, the Kaduna road would last longer as traffic by heavy trucks conveying freights would reduce.
Musa Bello, minister, FCT, also said the Abuja part of the light rail was already 77 percent completed and would be commissioned by December next year, when fully completed.
Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna State governor, who was the FCT minister at the time the agreement for the construction was signed, said the vision was to have a standard gauge covering north to south for about $8 billion, but “was abandoned by our successors” however “10 years after awarding the contract we are standing here to commission the Kaduna-Abuja segment.”
With the commencement of the Abuja-Kaduna train service, El-Ruafi said Kaduna would now become a satellite town, saying the state was currently discussing with the Chinese firm to build a light rail in the state to connect to the main gauge.
