The House of Representatives has charged the Federal Government to expand the Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway line to the Sanusi Railway Station near Igboora in the Ibarapa axis of Oyo state and make it usable.
The resolution which followed the adoption of a motion brought by Hon. Ajibola S. Muraina, called attention to the economic importance of such an extension to the people of the area.
Muraina noted that in 2006, the Federal Government had awarded the contract to construct a standard gauge railway from Lagos to Kano to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for $8.3 billion.
He also noted that because of the failure to secure funding for the whole project, the Federal Government decided to build the standard gauge line in portions, and renovate the narrow–gauge line in the meantime.
According to him, the project began with the construction of a 187km segment from Abuja to Kaduna on February 20, 2011, and was completed and inaugurated on 26 July 2016.
Muraina however expressed concerns that the Federal Government failed or refused to rehabilitate the old railway lines or extend the new standard gauge railway lines to some key existing railway stations.
Furthermore, he said leaving such important stations out would reduce the benefits and economic impacts the original concept of the project would have had on Nigerians.
The House adopted the motion and mandated its Committee on Land Transport to ensure compliance, and report back accordingly.
