The Minister of Transport, Chief Rotimi Amaechi has given the assurance that the Lagos-Kano Rail project would be completed over the next two years.
Amaechi said in Kaduna during an inspecting tour of the Abuja-Kaduna rail project that it would create 250,000 jobs for Nigerians.
He said the ongoing rail project from Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar would generate more employment than the Abuja-Kaduna rail modernisation project.
He further said a training institute would be established by the Chinese company to train Nigerians on operations, maintenance and communication.
“For the Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail projects, we expect to generate like 250,000 formal and informal jobs.
“We are negotiating with General Electric in America to construct a narrow gauge from Lagos to Kano and they cannot run that without training Nigerians. “If the communication system goes down, how do we revive it? So they would also teach Nigerians how to maintain it.
“If we want to replace it, how do we replace it? So the key thing is transfer of technology and that will be the focus of the ministry.’’
He added that the government would ensure that the rail service was affordable for the masses on completion.
-Vanguard
