Senate C’ttee, on local and foreign debt commends FCT on rail transport
…As Minister reel economic benefits
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani has commended the FCT Administration over the success achieved on the Abuja Light Rail project, saying it has put Abuja in good stead and in conformity with other cities of the world.
Senator Sani made these commendations when members of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts paid an oversight visit to the FCT Administration on Monday, November 5, 2018.
The Committee Chairman, who appeared in doubt over the local content aspect of the project, said it would be more beneficial to have Nigerians fully involved in the implementation and operation of the railway project.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa however allayed the fears of the Committee in this regard, noting that consultants handling the project were mainly Nigerians with many FCT engineers working with the Chinese to deliver on the projects.
The Minister said the commencement of railway services is already stimulating investments on the railway corridors and helping to develop the capacity of some young Nigerians in railway technology, operations and ancillary services.
The Minister stated that one of the various benefits from the railway project is the ease of transportation for those living on the lines of the Phase 1, while noting that each of the stations already in operation has made room for clusters of economic activities such as retail trade, estate development and other forms of investments.
His words, “A new crop of young Nigerians are being trained to manage the railway value chain. Some local indigenes from around the railway corridor have been sent to China to learn railways technology, management.
To the Federal Capital Territory, the huge multiplier values derivable from the utility will be of immense benefits both for now and for the future. It is of interest to note that there are Nigerians, even women, now driving the locomotives”.
