Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday disclosed that the Federal Government had approved for the execution of Ibadan-Kano standard gauge rail project the sum of $5.3 billion.
The disclosure was contained in a statement issued by minister’s Special Assistant Media, Israel Ibeleme, shortly after the 3rd Maritime Stakeholders Interactive Forum held in Lagos.
According to the minister, the approved was among the key decisions taken at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Villa in Abuja.
The minister stated further that the ministry was working also to secure funds for the commencement of the Port-Harcourt-Warri segment coastal rail project.
This is even as he disclosed that the Minister of Transportation for State, Hon. Gbemisola Saraki, had been assigned the responsibility of supervising all agencies in the maritime sub-sector while he would be concentrating on railway sector.
He recalled that during his first term as Minister, several abandoned projects in the maritime sector were left to be handled by heads of the agencies, promising that during the current second term rigorous supervision of the railway and maritime sectors would be carried out by himself and the Minister of State to ensure completion of various projects.
He stated: “There are two things that I have discussed with President Muhammadu Buhari that I will be focusing on in this second term as a Minister and they are maritime security and the Single Window project.
“I have assured government that by the end of 2020, we should have the Single Window at our maritime sector”, the minister added.
It would be recalled that President Buhari had directed the establishment of the single window platform to integrate all government agencies at all the entry points into the country as a strategic option of promoting trade and improving national security.
