Buhari: FG’s Rail Project Easing Commuters’ Hardship on Lagos-Ibadan Route

Deji Elumoye

President Muhammadu Buhari has explained that the decision by his administration to prioritise infrastructure projects ameliorated hardship in some parts of the country.

He particularly mentioned his administration’s quick intervention on the Lagos-Ibadan route with the completion of road and rail lines, which he said improved the traffic significantly.

Speaking yesterday, while playing host to a delegation from Kaduna State, led by the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Hadiza Sabuwa Balaraba at the State House, Abuja, the president said, “my objective was very clear, despite the dwindling resources, I wanted to deal with infrastructure across the country.

“We should look at advancement in terms of Infrastructure. No country can advance without infrastructure. There used to be railways, especially people from Southern Kaduna will remember this.”

“Which country can really advance without road, rail and power, that’s why I wanted to sort out infrastructure, knowing that Nigerians are competitive by nature, and they will face their businesses when there’s road, rail and power,’’ he added.

According to him, the challenge of commuting in the south-west had been improved.

He said: “The people from south-west can tell better because between Lagos and Ibadan by now, if we hadn’t done what we did, people would have been trekking because the road was not there, the rail was not there and there was so much insecurity.

“But we thank the international community. We thank China and Chinese investors, who came along to support the Lagos-Ibadan transport projects,’’ he said.

Buhari assured that the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure would be sustained. These he listed to include the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano express road, being handled by Julius Berger to ensure good, long-term quality.

He commended the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, for transforming the state.

Earlier in her remarks, the Deputy Governor thanked the president for his working visit to the state, where he commissioned projects in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria.

She said the Urban Renewal Programme would be sustained and spread across the state for more impact on the lives of the people, with many already near completion, and will be ready by May, 2022.