Matthew Otoijagha
The Federal Government plans to spend N80.2 billion to complete some ongoing railway and maritime projects in 2019.
In the 2019 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly last December, the President said that the sum serves as its own counterpart funding for various projects in the railway and maritime sector.
The breakdown of the N80.2 billion budget proposal to the National Assembly indicated that the sum would be committed to at least five railway projects. Of the five projects, one is being initiated by the government, while the other four are ongoing.
The projects, according to the 2019 budget proposal, include the ongoing construction of Lagos-Kano, Calabar-Lagos, Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Aladja (Warri) and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail lines, while Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi in Niger Republic rail line was newly initiated.
Two projects in the maritime sector under the N80.2bn fund were Abuja-Itakpe and Aladja (Warri)-Warri Port and refinery, including Warri New Harbour, while Bonny deep seaport and Port Harcourt also appeared on the list.
Also mentioned in the 2019 budget proposal was the provision of electricity, water supply, construction of protective fences along the corridor in Abraka, Oria, Oruwhorum, for Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Aladja railway at the sum of N2.1billion.
Besides, the government proposed that it would expend the sum of N105million for the engagement of a transactional advisor to drive concession of the construction of Abuja-Baro-Itakpe and the segment of Aladja-Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Barrow-Abuja railway line and Kano-Kazaure-Katsina-Jibiya railway line.
The government further set aside the sum of N200million as consultancy fee for the complete integrated system of signaling and telecommunications equipment for Itakpe -Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Warri railway line projects.
According to the government, it intends to spend additional N141.3million as feasibility studies for the new standard gauge rail line in Kano-Dayi-Katsina-Jibiya rail line, including the realignment of Dambata-Kazaure-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradin in Niger Republic.
Apart from this, the government proposed that it would expend N12.6 million on engineering research and development of rail and marine infrastructure, which it said was ongoing. Another N15 million was proposed for spending on a feasibility study and design of Illorin-Okeyi-Paligi-Baro-Giri/Airport Road Abuja rail.