P
ProfRem
Guest
Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has provided further insight into why the Federal Government approved a rail line to Daura.
The Minister said the rail line through the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina state will connect the country with her landlocked neighbours.
He stated that government realized Nigeria's landlocked neighbours like Niger, import through Ghana, Togo and even Benin Republic because of absence of rail line connecting their areas.
Speaking with journalists after the monthly project steering committee meeting on the $1.5bn Lagos-Ibadan rail project, he said the project would address the competition.
Amaechi decried the misgivings generated by the approval of rail line to Daura, saying the line would not stop at Daura.
He said, "We realised that we had competitors from our land-locked neighbours, competitors like Ghana, Togo and even Benin Republic. These landlocked neighbours are importing through these countries because we don’t have rail lines that go to them.
“So to address this situation, Mr President approved a rail line that will go to Maragi in Niger. But that rail line which will come from Kano to Maragi in Niger must pass through some cities. So the rail line passes through Kazuare and then Daura before proceeding to Jibya and then Maragi. Is it that when the rail line gets to Kazuare, it jumps into the air over Daura? No, it has to pass through Daura to get to Jibiya and Maragi. It’s quite unfortunate that people read meanings to a rail line going to Daura.
“With this rail line, it addresses the competition we have with Ghana and Togo for our landlocked neighbours. So we can now tell our landlocked neighbours that we can take their goods and services from our ports in Lagos to their country.
But one thing good for me as a man that has the mandate to connect all state capitals by rail is that, from Daura, we will also link Katsina State, thereby leaving us with just three more State capitals to connect; Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi.”
The Minister said the rail line through the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina state will connect the country with her landlocked neighbours.
He stated that government realized Nigeria's landlocked neighbours like Niger, import through Ghana, Togo and even Benin Republic because of absence of rail line connecting their areas.
Speaking with journalists after the monthly project steering committee meeting on the $1.5bn Lagos-Ibadan rail project, he said the project would address the competition.
Amaechi decried the misgivings generated by the approval of rail line to Daura, saying the line would not stop at Daura.
He said, "We realised that we had competitors from our land-locked neighbours, competitors like Ghana, Togo and even Benin Republic. These landlocked neighbours are importing through these countries because we don’t have rail lines that go to them.
“So to address this situation, Mr President approved a rail line that will go to Maragi in Niger. But that rail line which will come from Kano to Maragi in Niger must pass through some cities. So the rail line passes through Kazuare and then Daura before proceeding to Jibya and then Maragi. Is it that when the rail line gets to Kazuare, it jumps into the air over Daura? No, it has to pass through Daura to get to Jibiya and Maragi. It’s quite unfortunate that people read meanings to a rail line going to Daura.
“With this rail line, it addresses the competition we have with Ghana and Togo for our landlocked neighbours. So we can now tell our landlocked neighbours that we can take their goods and services from our ports in Lagos to their country.
But one thing good for me as a man that has the mandate to connect all state capitals by rail is that, from Daura, we will also link Katsina State, thereby leaving us with just three more State capitals to connect; Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi.”
