Following the Federal Government’s approval of GE’s outline business case for the concessioning of the narrow gauge railway lines across the country, the company has been successfully selected as the preferred bidder of choice for the railway contract.
This approval, which marks the formal concessioning of the railway to the company, involves investment of about $2.2 billion in construction of railway lines, and introduction of 20 locomotives and about 200 coaches to move freight and passengers, Guardian reports.
The railway lines are 2 major trunks that span the entire country- the first starting from Lagos down to Kano, and passing through several states like Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Niger, and Kaduna, while the other starts from Port Harcourt through Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Maiduduri.
The ceremony, which held at the Ministry of Transportation, Abuja, had the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation Sabiu Zakari, who represented the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, handing over the letter of award to the President and Chief Executive Officer, GE, Jamie Miller, thus marking the formal concession of the narrow gauge rail facilities to GE for investments.