The Federal Government has officially handed over the completed $3.02 billion, 62-kilometer Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for operation.
The Port Harcourt-Aba section, part of the broader Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge railway project, was formally transferred to the NRC by Mr. Ayo Dada, Project Supervisor at the Federal Ministry of Transportation, during a ceremony in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The assets transferred include 283.060 kilometers of dismantled tracks, 62.800 kilometers of rehabilitated subgrade and mainline rail, 5.690 kilometers of sliding lines, and the reconstruction of 27 turnouts at key stations such as Port Harcourt, Elelenwo, Obuzor, Umugo, and Aba.
“The assets handed over include dismantled tracks measuring 283.060 km, rehabilitated and reconstructed 62.800 km of subgrade and the laying of 62.800 km of rail for the main line.
“This includes the laying of rail for sliding lines covering 5.690 km and the reconstruction of 27 sets of turnouts at Port Harcourt, Elelenwo, Obuzor, Umugo and Aba Stations, among others,” Dada stated.
Dada highlighted that the project, completed in May 2024, has already significantly improved passenger movement between Rivers and Abia states.
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Dada stated that with the handover of the Port Harcourt-Aba section, the Federal Government would now focus on the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri phase of the project.
- He added that the contractor had submitted the technical specifications and maintenance manual for the Port Harcourt-Aba section to the consultants, and that the Ministry is committed to completing the project to support national development.
- Ben Iloanusi, Managing Director of the NRC, commended both the Federal Government and the Ministry of Transportation for the timely completion and transfer of the project.
Represented by Adesegun Ogunade, Deputy Manager (Civil) at NRC, Iloanusi noted that the railway has provided Nigerians with affordable transportation options.
“The rail line, now operational, is already helping to mitigate the high transportation costs caused by economic challenges,” Iloanusi said.
He added “Train services have been running for some time, and passengers have reported that it has made commuting between Port Harcourt and Aba more convenient, faster, and cheaper. People are already experiencing the benefits of this government’s policies and programmes.”
Iloanusi assured that the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri section would also be completed on schedule, emphasizing that adequate security measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of both workers and passengers.
- He explained that one of the security measures includes the engagement of vigilante groups for additional protection, while the Federal Government, the Ministry of Transportation, and the presidency have also introduced further security protocols to guarantee safe and affordable train services for citizens.
What you should know
The reconstruction of the Eastern Narrow Railway (Port Harcourt–Maiduguri Railway) commenced in 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
- On March 10, 2021, the Federal Government reached an agreement with a syndicate of Chinese financiers to fund a $3 billion rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Eastern Railway, with the Federal Government contributing 15% of the total cost and the Chinese syndicate financing the remaining 85%.
- In September 2023, Transport Minister Saidu Alkali criticized the slow progress of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor responsible for track laying, attributing the delays to the use of a manual alignment process.
By January 2024, however, CCECC had completed track laying on the Port Harcourt to Aba section of the corridor.
