Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation has disclosed that the Federal Government, will in a few weeks, sign a loan agreement to commence work on the proposed Lagos-Calabar railway project before the end If the year.
The Minister disclosed this, on Friday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, where he delivered the 34th Convocation Lecture of the University of Calabar with the topic: “The National Question and the Challenges of Nationhood in Nigeria”.
He disclosed: “In a few weeks from now, we are going to sign the loan agreement for the commencement of that project and before the end of the year, contractors will move to site.
“The President Buhari administration has embarked on railway construction and rehabilitation from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, from Ibadan to Kano and from Abuja to Kaura Namoda among others.
“We are also renewing the Lord Lugard railway line that has been out of effective service for decades,” he added.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was committed to massive infrastructural development across the country.
Besides, he declared that the objective was to ease movement across the country and by extension enhance national integration.
Earlier, Prof. Florence Obi, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), had expressed appreciation to the minister, saying that the university was poised to promoting academic excellence.