Aminat Isah, Abuja
Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi says Nigeria stands the chance of developing own rail line construction technology without foreign intervention in the next 10yrs.
Amaechi stated this in Abuja, saying that it is possible with the level of infrastructure being put in place in the rail sector of the economy by the federal government, through the systemic transfer and localization of Rail technology to qualified Nigerian Engineers by the major Contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) handling the construction of Railway in the Country.
Reiterating the government’s commitment towards the actualization of this feat, the Minister disclosed that the Federal Government has awarded a contract worth 500 million dollars to CCECC to supply rolling stocks, build locomotive and wagon factories in the country as a way of facilitating the transfer and localization of technology.
” When the Kajola Rail Wagon factory in Ogun State begins full operations, CCECC would be able to assemble wagons and produce rolling stock locally,” Said Amaechi
Speaking further on the development of rail line technology in Nigeria, the minister explained that the proposed transportation university by the the Federal Government in Daura, Katsina State would produce transport experts that would be able to create rail technology and maintain the rail lines in the country when developed.
“The wagon factory in Kajola, Ogun State in a way is localisation of railway technology, but beyond that by Dec. 2, we will lay the foundation of Transportation University which is being handled by CCECC and the course of study at the University is to teach Nigerians railway technology, that is one step in localising the railway technology.
“We also intend to build the rail line slippers factory in Kaduna or Zaria, that is another way of localising the technology, so all we are trying to do is for the Chinese to transfer the technology back to Nigerians, so that in the next five years maintenance of rail will be done by Nigerians, we are hoping that in the next 10yrs Nigeria should be able to construct its own rail lines,” said Amaechi.
The minister also said the federal government has awarded a contract of 195million dollars to launch security equipment on the waters to protect vessels and those who ply the waterways as a way of strengthening the security situation on the waterways.
He added that the combined team of the Nigerian Army, Police, Air force and Navy were already undergoing some training on the use of the security equipment.
Amaechi noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to infrastructural development would create numerous jobs and lift Nigerians out of poverty .
