The Nigerian Government is set to commence operations on the Port-Harcourt to Aba stretch of the Port-Harcourt – Maiduguri narrow gauge rail project.
As part of the intensified drive by the Nigerian government to facilitate trade, enhance mobility, accessibility, and ensure connectivity between the southern parts of the country and the North-Eastern part of the country, the rehabilitation of the 1443 km Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge rail project has received priority attention.
The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, on behalf of the Nigerian Government, is expected to flag off the commencement of commercial services on the 62.0 kilometres of the Port-Harcourt to Aba corridor on 30th April, 2024.
The project was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Transportation to Messrs China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) on October 16, 2020, with a completion timeline of 36 months.
Due to several technical and contractual issues, the project commenced in March 2022. It is worth noting that the scope of the project covers the rehabilitation of the existing narrow gauge railway line, the construction of new modern stations, and the procurement of new modern rolling stock.
The railway line will also link the ports of Onne, Bonny, and Port-Harcourt to facilitate the evacuation of goods and sundry freight through the Eastern Corridor.
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The Nigerian government, in the contractual agreement, is to provide 15% of Direct Construction Cost inclusive of land acquisition and Value Added Tax (VAT), while a bank loan through Direct Construction Cost is to cover 85% of the project.
Facilitation of the bank loan is in progress and is expected to be concluded soon. Thus, the progress achieved on the project from inception in 2020 to the present date has been funded exclusively from the yearly budgetary allocation of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
The Nigerian Government, with the commencement of operations along this section of the project, aims to boost economic activities between the South-South and South-East regions of the country pending completion of the other sections of the project.
With the completion of the rehabilitation of the Port-Harcourt to Aba rail corridor, the Ministry will continue to vigorously drive Messrs. CCECC towards the speedy completion and delivery of the 181-kilometre Aba-Enugu stretch.
The commencement of operations on this stretch of the project aligns with priority 5 of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Priority Areas, which identifies “Enhanced Infrastructure and Transportation as Enablers of Growth” to the economy.
