Abuja Rail Project: Minister Woos Canadian Firms

Canadian firms have been urged to take advantage of the investment opportunities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially the Abuja Light Rail Project, which is currently under construction. FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed who extended the invitation listed other areas of possible investment to tourism, mass housing, monorail and infrastructure development.
Mohammed stated this when the Canadian Minister of International Trade, Hon. Edward Fast who is leading a 40-company Canadian Trade Delegation on a working visit to Nigeria undertook a working tour of the light rail project .
The minister who was represented by the Secretary, FCT Transportation Secretariat, Engr. Jonathan Achara Ivoke, explained that the rail project which covers a distance of 285 kilometres and conceptual design for lots 1, 2, and 3 of the rail project presently had lots 1 and 3 under construction with a programmed completion date of first quarter of 2015.
He stressed that the feasibility study and conceptual design for the remaining Lots 4, 5 and 6 was under procurement, adding that the remaining lots were available for concession under a design, build, manage, operate and transfer project.
Mohammed also said about 15 stations and sub-stations were proposed for the current phase of rail roject, depending on the availability of other modes of transport, adding that the stations include in-line stations which offer limited interchange facilities, bus transfer stations and rail transfer stations which will provide facilities for transfer between two or more rail services.
In a response, Fast who disclosed that the value of Canadian investment in Nigeria had increased from $1 billion to $2.7 billion stressed that the volume would continue to grow even as he said the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) had extended a lot of international assistance to Nigeria in the areas of human capital development