President Bola Tinubu has said that Anambra State will be included in the National Rail Master Plan, following its initial exclusion from the country’s rail development blueprint.
Speaking in Awka during a civic reception held at Alex Ekwueme Square on Thursday, the President addressed the state’s omission, assuring residents that the Federal Ministry of Transportation would correct it.
The disclosure was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“President Tinubu addressed the state’s exclusion from the National Rail Master Plan, assuring residents that the Federal Ministry of Transportation would rectify the omission,” the statement read in part.
It further quoted the President as saying: “I am standing before you to say that the Ministry of Transportation is aware and will include the connection in the Master Plan and give it attention.”
The announcement came as part of President Tinubu’s one-day state visit to Anambra, during which he responded to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s requests concerning infrastructure development in the region.
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In addition to reaffirming his administration’s commitment to rail development, President Tinubu acknowledged the impact of erosion in Anambra and pledged federal support for ecological interventions.
He also noted the state’s vast gas reserves and assured that Anambra would be incorporated into the National Gas Master Plan going forward.
Highlighting infrastructure priorities, the President emphasized the strategic importance of road projects connecting Anambra to Kogi State, stating that such links would enhance access to the South-South region and Abuja.
- He admitted that some federal roads had been neglected and expressed his administration’s readiness to address these lapses.
- During the visit, President Tinubu commissioned several projects, including the Emeka Anyaoku Institute for International Studies and Diplomacy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, as well as components of the Solution Fun City developed by the Soludo administration.
- The statement added that President Tinubu was conferred with the title “Dikesinmba of Anambra State” by traditional rulers in recognition of his contributions to national development.
Reaffirming his commitment to unity and inclusive development, President Tinubu said, “We are one family, a single family, diverse, living in the same house called Nigeria. Our diversity must lead to prosperity. We must work together to be a united Nigeria.”
The statement further noted that President Tinubu’s visit to Anambra is the first since 2012 when then President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned a brewery in the state.
