The Federal Executive Council has approved contracts worth 1.3 billion Naira for consultancy services for the designs of six standard gauge rail lines across Nigeria.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
At a press briefing after the meeting the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, said that the six lots, totalling 4,430 kilometre, were in addition to seven earlier lots approved by the council last year.
The railway lines covered by the new contracts include Kano-Dayi-Katsina-Jibiya rail line; Ilela-Sokoto-Jega-Yauti-Makera rail line; aba-Ikot Ekpene-Ibiono-Itu(spur line to Uyo)-Odupkani-Calabar rail line; Kano-Nguru-Gashua-Damaturu/Gamborun-Ngala rail line; calabar-Ikom-Obudu-Ogoja-Katsina Ala-Wukari-Jalingo-Yola-Maiduguri rail line and the Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Enugu-Makurdi-Lafia-jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-maiduguri rail line.
The projects are expected to be completed within six months.
The Minister said the contracts were part of the 35 years strategic vision of the Federal Government for the rail sector.
Earlier at the council meeting, the Minister of Trade and Investments, Olusegun Aganga, told the council that the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) had recognised the development efforts of Nigeria and Ethiopia, quoting UNIDO as saying that the two countries showed the strongest and highest potential for industrial development in Africa.
The organisation intends to set up its office in Nigeria and Mr Aganga said the organisation had only eight of such offices in the world while Nigeria would be hosting the first and the only one in Africa.
Source: Channels TV