The China Civil Engineering Construction Company(CCECC) has said it created 10,000 jobs during the construction phase of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit project (Phase 1) valued at $823 million.
This was disclosed in a statement on its official website on Thursday.
The commercial operations on the Abuja Light Rail were re-launched in May by President Bola Tinubu, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, among other government officials.
Exciting Ride?
The CCECC, which is the international engineering arm of the Chinese government, explained that it was excited to play a role in alleviating the suffering of the people in the area where the project is cited.
It noted that the completed 45-km Lot A1 and Lot 3 of the light rail, with a maximum speed of 100km/h, covers 12 stations, connecting the Abuja airport, Aka Line of National Railway, and more.
“This metro rail offers an exciting, comfortable, and efficient ride for local people and will greatly alleviate local traffic congestion. During the construction phase, CCECC created nearly 10,000 jobs and trained over 3,000 professionals for the local community,” the CCECC added.
Belt and Road Initiative
The Belt and Road Initiative is a massive infrastructure project led by China, aimed at stretching its ingenuity around the globe thereby facilitating socio-economic development and expanding its commercial base.
As revealed on the Belt and Road official portal, from January to May 2024, China’s foreign trade in goods stood at 17.5 trillion yuan (about 2.46 trillion U.S. dollars) while exports reached 9.95 trillion yuan, with imports hitting 7.55 trillion yuan.
In May alone, China’s Belt and Run initiative saw its foreign trade grow by 8.6 per cent to 3.71 trillion yuan.
According to the Chinese government, the Abuja Light Rail line is the first urban rail transit line in Nigeria’s capital and a significant livelihood project under the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.
It revealed that about 60 per cent of the construction funds and 85 per cent of the diesel multiple unit (DMU) procurement funds are financed by the Export-Import Bank of China.
“The energy-saving trains are customized to cater for the local environment of high temperature, strong wind, and sand. The design fully considers the local shortage of electricity and meets practical, economical, and comfort needs. It will have a profound impact on the development of urban rail transit in West Africa in the future,” the Chinese government stressed
More insights
Nairametrics reports that President Bola Tinubu recently announced the extension of free rides on the newly launched Abuja Light Rail until the end of the year.
He made this declaration during the re-launch of commercial operations on the Abuja Light Rail, with key political figures in attendance, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In his address, the Minister of the FCT highlighted that although the metro line was inaugurated in 2018, it remained non-functional due to the lack of essential access roads.
Wike disclosed that the project was completed within nine months, with the Central Bank of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of Finance, and the Accountant General of the Federation, facilitating the payment of $30 million to the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
He also revealed that constructing the access roads cost N21.4 billion.
The FCT Mandate Secretary for Transportation, Chinedu Elechi, stated that the Abuja Metro Line has 12 trains, each capable of carrying at least 700 passengers, making 14 trips per day.
He added that Lot 1 and 2 of the metro line would run two trips simultaneously every day, with a cumulative capacity of transporting 980,000 passengers monthly within the Federal Capital Territory.
The project was valued for $823 million, at the time.
