Buhari’ll Inaugurate Lagos-Ibadan Railway In May – Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, said President Muhammadu Buhari, could inaugurate the Lagos-Ibadan railway in May.

Amaechi, who said this on a live television programme monitored in Abuja, noted that the Federal Ministry of Transportation had been working hard to see that the project was set for inauguration in April.

He, however, stated that the President might wish to inaugurate it in May.

The minister said, “We have put the President on notice that we are ready to commission the Lagos-Ibadan railway by April. Probably, since we (used to) have Democracy Day in May, he (Buhari) may wish to commission it in May.”

Amaechi had late last year announced that the Lagos-Ibadan rail project would be ready for inauguration in April.

Also, the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, told our correspondent on the second day of this year that construction work on the over $1.5bn Lagos-Ibadan railway project was moving ahead of the scheduled time for its completion.

Okhiria stated that the project would be ready for commercial use by April this year as planned.

“We are still looking at April to start commercial operations and right now the free ride and test runs are ongoing,” he stated.

Commenting on other rail projects during the live television programme on Tuesday, the transportation minister stated that aside from completing the Abuja-Kaduna railway, the government would also complete the Itakpe-Warri rail line soon.