The construction of the Ibadan to Kano railway is expected to begin when the Chinese government approves its $5.3bn loan to Nigeria, the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said.
Amaechi who disclosed this while he spoke at a programme in Abuja, stated that the Federal Government had given approval for the contract.
He was quoted in a statement issued in Abuja by his media aide, Taiye Edeni, as saying, “We are waiting for the Chinese government and bank to approve the $5.3bn to construct the Ibadan-Kano. What was approved a year ago was the contract.
“The moment I announced that the Federal Government had awarded a contract of $5.3bn to CCECC (China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation) to construct the Ibadan-Kano railway, people assumed the money had come in; no.”
The minister added, “We have not got the money, which is a year after we applied for the loan. We have almost finished that of Lagos-Ibadan. If we don’t get the loan now, we can’t commence.”
Amaechi said the Ibadan-Kano rail line would link over six strategic locations in Nigeria, including Kaduna, Kano, Abuja, Minna, Ilorin, Osogbo and Ibadan, adding that cargoes could be moved to Kano from Lagos on the railway.
