FG, Firm Sign MoU on $1.959bn Kano-Maradi Rail Project

*Project to be completed in 36 months.

The federal government on Monday signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mota- Engil Group on the construction of $1.959 billion Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway lines.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, signed on behalf of the Federal Government while the Managing Director, Mota- Engil, Antonio Gvoea signed on behalf of the contracting firm.

Amaechi in a statement made available to Journalists in Abuja by the Director of Press of the ministry, Mr. Eric Ejiekwe, noted that the new railway corridor which is to be located in northern Nigeria will run through three states: Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and through Niger territory as far as Maradi.

Other cities that will be affected by the rail line in Nigeria, he said, are: Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.

According to him, “The 283.750 kilometre rail line besides developing freight and passenger transport as it will be integrated with road transport, will make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.”

The project duration is for 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, and the Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh, the Managing Director, Mota-Engil Group, Antonio Gvoea, Head of Legal, Mota- Engil Group, Cameron Beverley, Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada, Director, Mota-Engil Group, Kola Abdulkarim, Vice President, Mota-Engil Group, Mohammed Abdul-Razaq, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusfu Tuggar, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman, among other diginitaries.