The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rail line known as the Abuja Metro Line will be restored very soon, the federal government disclosed on Tuesday.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said the ministry, through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), is collaborating with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to bring back the metro line.
She spoke yesterday at a webinar titled, ‘From the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List: Strategies for Rail Development and Investments for Sub-Nationals’, organised by the Nigeria Transportation Commissioners’ Forum (NTCF).
The webinar was part of the pre-event conversation series ahead of the National Transport Technology Conference and Exhibition 2023.
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Daily Trust reports that the first phase of the rail was commissioned amid fanfare in 2018 but two years after, the line was abandoned.
The permanent secretary stated that despite the removal of rail development from the exclusive list to the concurrent list to enable states to invest in rail development, the collaboration between the federal government and the sub-national governments was essential to achieve the desired results.
One of the speakers and former Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos, Dr Kayode Opeifa, advised states and regions to carry out necessary planning and feasibility studies before embarking on any rail project.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Abdulhafis Toriola, said the state would continue to work with the federal government to harness the potential in rail transportation, disclosing that no fewer than seven corridors were being developed by the state.