The Federal Government, through the Federal Capital Development Authority, has earmarked N22.4 billion to complete the Abuja railway project abandoned by the previous administration.
This is, according to details obtained from the Budget Office of the Federation under the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
The multi-billion naira Abuja Rail Mass Transit, popularly called Abuja Light Rail, was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari on July 12, 2018, and opened for passengers the following week. But it has since been abandoned, despite injecting billions of naira into the project.
Aimed at solving the perennial transportation problem within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its adjoining towns and cities, the project was proposed to cover a total distance of 290 km (180 mi) to be developed in six phases or lots.
The then administration proposed the project for $823 million, with 60 per cent to be funded with loans from the Exim Bank of China.
Yet after all the paperwork, which was never made public, construction work on lots 1 and 3 commenced, but the project remained largely abandoned.
The WikkiTimes learnt that the 42.5 km (26.4 mi) Lot 1, completed, has not been efficiently put to use. It has two lines and 12 stations connecting the Abuja city centre with the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport via the Lagos–Kano standard gauge railway at Idu.
It is stationed at Abuja metro, stadium, Kukwaba 1, Kukwaba 11, Wupa, Idu, Bassanjiwa and the airport. At the same time, the Blue Line (Lot 3) has been completed but is still not in use, and it is expected to pass through Idu to Kubwa, with stations in Idu, Gwagwa, Deidei, Kagini and Gbazango.
Meanwhile, Lot 2 starts from Gwagwa via Transportation Centre (metro station) to Nyanya/Karu and Lot 4 is from Kuje to Karshi with the remaining legs of the transit-way line 2.
The rest are Lot 5, which is expected to be from Kubwa via Bwari to Suleja and Lot 6 from the airport via Kuje and Gwagwalada to Dobi.
With this arrangement, the government continued to inject money into the project, but nothing significant justified the spending.
However, the present administration had, in a bid to ensure the completion of the project, said all pending works would be completed in the next eight months after it proposed an additional N22.4 billion into the project.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, during a visit the metro stations, assured that the Abuja rail mass transit (ARMT) should be completed in eight months.
During the inspection, Wike frowned at the dysfunctional state of the rail system, saying, “Transportation is one of the sectors we intend to intervene in the short term to reduce traffic congestion within the city. “
“I know we have a metro station in Abuja, and it is not working. Why is it not working? Can we fix it within a short time?
“I assured the public that the rail transport system is a project we will take to a logical conclusion.
“Before commencing another project, we will need to determine which areas are the most traffic areas. This is very important to decongest areas with traffic congestion.
“The money for the rehabilitation is on ground, and I have already directed the permanent secretary of FCT administration, Adesola Olusade, to ensure that the contractor is paid.
“We will work to ensure that in the coming months, this project is commissioned and put to public use.”
Further, a check by The WikkiTimes on the recently approved supplementary budget revealed the sum of N22,430,000,000 was earmarked for the project.
