Abuja Light Rail project to be completed by 2015

The Abuja Light Rail construction project, which involves setting up a light rail system in the Nigerian capital, is to be complete by October next year.

The project, whose worth has been indicated as $792 million according to reports, will be undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding for this new light rail system was done in September.
Lined up for construction will be a track and rail stations, as well as a depot and training facility. The new project will also involve installation of signaling equipment. The initial plan touches on having diesel traction, but the system will be switched to electric when there is a suitable supply.

The new light rail transport system will connect the central business district in the capital to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The new rail will also serve the Idu industrial area with high-density, high-traffic routes.

The first phase was, according to Minister for Federal Capital Territory Administration of Nigeria, expected to conclude before the end of 2015. The new rail project will also lead to employment of some 20, 000 people initially.

The government was also undertaking construction of state-of-the-art airport terminals across the country including Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu.