Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the long-awaited Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project (ARMTP) and became the first Nigerian president to take a train ride from the city center to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The inaugural ceremony occurred at the new metro station in the Central Business District (CBD), Abuja.
At the occasion, the president said the metro rail line was a dream come true and urged the management of the rail services to ensure good customer care and proper maintenance. The president also said the completion of the project is a demonstration of his administration’s prudence, development of critical infrastructure and the implementation of his change agenda. “The completion of this very important project is a dream come true,” he said, “and clearly demonstrates our administration’s commitment to the realization of critical infrastructural projects. The Abuja Light Rail System is further evidence that we are a government that delivers on its promises. A modern rail service will greatly boost the FCT economy and enhance social life.”
The 45.245km standard guage rail line from Abuja Metro Station to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is said to be the first of its kind in West Africa. The project that took eleven years to complete was a counterpart-funding arrangement between the China Export Import (Exim) Bank and the FCT administration on the basis of 60 per cent from the Chinese and 40 percent from the FCT administration. The system has 12 stations namely Abuja Metro Station, Stadium, Kukwaba 1 and 2, Wupa, Idu, Bassanjiwa, Airport, Gwagwa Dei-Dei, Kagini and Gbazango.
According to FCT minister Muhammad Musa Bello, only phase one of the project has been completed. He said the FCT Administration has started work on phase II of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project to cover a distance of 32.54km from Nnamdi Azikwe Expressway at Garki Area I through the Transportation Centre to Gwagwa and from Bazango Station to Kubwa. Bello said the federal executive council approved the project in 2017 at a cost of US$1.3 billion.
He said, “The Abuja rail system is packaged into 6 Lots planned for phased development, based on preferential demand and available financial resources.” He also said the rail system “is planned to integrate with the National Rail Network when eventually completed. The Abuja rail is divided into Six (6) Lots and with total length of 290 kilometres. The Lots are: Lot 1: From Nnamdi Azikwe Expressway through the Transportation Centre (Metro Station) via Gwagwa to Kubwa; Lot 2: From Gwagwa via Transportation Centre (Metro Station) to Nyanya/Karu; and Lot 3: From Transportation Centre via Idu Industrial Zone to Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.”
We commend the government for finishing this project even though it was started by a previous administration. This type of continuation should be encouraged and be embedded in our national character. We lose a lot of national resources and investor confidence from starting, terminating contracts and re-awarding them only to service the pockets of interests which were not part of the previous government.
Therefore, the Federal Government and FCT Administration in particular have done well for sustaining this project and completing the first phase. While we celebrate this achievement, it is for the above reason that we should also lower our heads in shame. It’s for the same reason that Nigerians are reluctant to tell their foreign friends about this “achievement.” For how can you break the news to people who have had the technology for decades? Many would be forgiven for thinking that at least one city in Nigeria has this rail system.
We therefore need to sustain this new template and finish projects started no matter who initiated them and arrest the tide of numerous uncompleted projects which liter our nation. We also urge the managers of the rail system to ensure proper management and maintenance of this arrangement.
