Minister of Federal Capital territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed has urged Canadian investors to put their money in the ongoing multi-billion naira Abuja Rail Project.
He extended the invitation during a working tour of the Abuja Rail Project by Hon. Edward Fast, Canadian Minister of International Trade, who is leading a 40-company Canadian Trade Delegation on a working visit to Nigeria.
The minister was represented by Secretary of Transportation of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Jonathan Achara Ivoke.
Mohammed told visiting Canadian minister that the Abuja Rail Network comprises six lots covering a distance of approximately 285km.
He added that the feasibility study and conceptual design for lots 1, 2, and 3 of the rail project was undertaken in May 2006. Presently, lots 1 and 3 are under construction with a programmed completion date of first quarter of 2015.
He also explained that the feasibility study and conceptual design for the remaining Lots 4, 5 and 6 was under procurement and told the Canadian Delegation that the remaining lots were available for concession under a design, build, manage, operate and transfer project.
According to the FCT Minister, about 15 stations and sub-stations are proposed for the current phase of Abuja Rail Project depending on the availability of other modes of transport.
He said 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.
The Nigerian Minister told the delegation that apart from the rail project, there several other areas of huge opportunities for investment in FCT such as tourism, mass housing, monorail and infrastructure
Responding, the Canadian Minister, Edward Fast described the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Canada as very cordial and robust, saying that within the last decade, the value of Canadian investment in Nigeria has increased from $1bn to $2.7bn and expressing assurances that the volume would continue to grow.
Fast disclosed, too, that the Canadian International Development Agency (IDA) has extended lots of international assistance to Nigeria in the area of human capital development.
