[size=16pt]$15bn Coastal Rail project ‘ll boost Nigeria’s GDP –FG[/size]



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by FRANCIS EZEM on May 15, 2014

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Republic of China have commenced talks on the construction of the coastal rail system across the country, which is expected to gulp $15bn, (N2.6trn).

When completed, the coastal rail system, which is expected to connect Lagos, South West, South East and South-South up to the northern parts of the country, will further boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who made disclosure, spoke at the ground breaking ceremony for the shipyard and official commissioning of the Nigerian Maritime University established by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, located at Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South Local Government of Delta State, at he weekend.

According to him, the establishment of such coastal rail systems, which will be integrated into the other modes of transport had become necessary in order to improve communication in the country and therefore contribute significantly in further improving Nigeria’s GDP, which was rebased recently.

The President, who was reacting to the request by the President of the Ijaw Youth Congress, Comrade Evans Eradiara for the establishment of coastal roads linking Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and other coastal states said that the building of the coastal rail system, which will gulp between $12-$15bn dominated discussions with the Prime Minister of China, who just left the country at the end of the Economic Forum.

“We are not talking about coastal roads alone but also coastal rail system because roads alone cannot solve our problems. For you to provide a mass transit system for the movement of people and heavy equipment, you must have an efficient rail system”, he said.

The President also said: “Without development, we cannot get anywhere. Until we have effective rail system, we cannot talk of effective mass transport system and if we achieve this, it will improve communication in the country and also improve the nation’s GDP”.

The President had told the Ijaw community that though there is relative peace in the region, there are still many criminal elements and therefore warned that the government will not condone any form of criminality any longer.

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hm

nice development

I wonder why they couldn't have a branch of the line connecting with Owerri, Oguta or Onitsha! Edo isn't a coastal state, yet the line is serving two of its cities! Sometimes i wonder if we actually have senators, ministers and governors that can speak up for our interests!

Don't let anyone come at me with any silly 'logic'......it's only when it comes to Ndigbo interests that peeps will bring 'logic' in deciding the allocation of resources and the like! Trust me, if the northern hegemonic mafia were still in power, they'd have found 'good' reason to add a branch of this line to Kogi, Kaduna or Abuja!

rail