The federal government of Nigeria has signed a US $6.7bn contract agreement for the Ibadan-Kaduna segment of the Lagos-Kano rail line with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Commenting on the signed agreement, Yetunde Sonaike, Press Director, Federal Ministry of Transportation stated that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, signed the contract and said the agreement was for the implementation of Addendum no. 4, indicating the Ibadan-Kaduna segment of the Lagos-Kano rail line.

“This agreement is for the Ibadan-Kaduna rail line, which is part of the Lagos-Kano rail line, the completion time of the contract should be between two to three years, depending on availability of funds,” said Rotimi Amaechi.

However, Amaechi assured that the ministry will be able to provide its counterpart funding between 2018 and 2019 budget provision. He added that, the contract is a fulfillment of Federal Government’s plan to complete the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project.

“The Ibadan-Kaduna standard gauge line will pass through Oshogbo-Ilorin-Minna to Kaduna, with a single track branch line from Oshogbo to Ado-Ekiti,” he added.

Completion plan

The project contract is in fulfillment of the federal government’s plan to complete the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project which started in 2006 and broken into segments for implementation.

The federal government in March 2017 commenced the second leg of the Lagos-Kano line that is currently ongoing and planned to be completed by the end of 2018.

The signing of the Ibadan-Kaduna segment contract agreement today concludes all outstanding segments of the Lagos-Kano rail line.