Economy
Millions of Nigerians Will Soon Prefer to Travel by Train; Says Transport Minister
With work progress going on in the Nigerian rail system, millions of Nigerians will soon prefer to travel by train.
The minister of transportation, Muazu Sambo has disclosed that with the level of standardisation and the work progress going on in the Nigerian rail system, millions of Nigerians will soon prefer to travel by train.
The minister who was on a courtesy visit to the railway headquarters in Lagos yesterday said that the present administration has done a lot to revive and restructure the rail system in the country.
Muazu, who was appointed a few months ago also acknowledged his predecessor, Rotimi Amechi for doing so much to turn the narration of the rail system around.
“My gratitude goes to my predecessor for all he has done while in office. Even his enemies admitted to his commitment towards achieving success in the rail sector,” he said.
He added that if the next administration continues the investment in the rail sectors, the progress will be noteworthy with the potential to transport millions of Nigerians from one state to the other.
Investors King understands that Nigeria’s rail transportation has witnessed unprecedented growth in the last few years.
Some of the completed rail networks include the Kaduna to Abuja rail which was completed in 2016 while the Lagos to Ibadan and Warri to Itakpe in Delta State which were both completed in 2021.
Similarly, there are a number of rail networks that are under construction. Such include Lagos to Kano, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, and Kaduna to Kano.
Meanwhile, the federal government has stated that it will need to access more credit facilities to finance the ongoing rail projects across the country.
The minister of transportation noted that the federal government plans to borrow from China, Portugal, and Turkey to complete the ongoing rail projects.
Muazu who appeared before a joint committee of the National Assembly stated that “adequate funds need to be provided in the 2023 budget to facilitate the practical completion of the projects”.
He thereafter added that the Kaduna to Abuna train service which was suspended due to a terrorist attack will resume operation this November.