By Milcah Tanimu
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, inspected the Abuja Rail Mass Transit system on Monday, May 20, 2024, ahead of its commercial operations launch by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This event marks the first anniversary of the Federal Government.
The inspection began at the Abuja Metro Station in the Central Business District, with stops at the Stadium, Idu, and Airport stations. Wike expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and facilities, confirming the project’s readiness for commercial operation. He stated, “In a few days, the President will inaugurate the commercial operation of this Metro line. We have to thank God Almighty that we are good to go. We are ready, and you can see the facilities. So, we are very happy, and we thank God the promise Mr. President made has been kept.”
Wike also mentioned the completion of access roads to the train stations, allowing residents from various communities to drive to the stations and board the train.
However, he identified some facilities omitted during the project’s design, such as escalators, elevators for the elderly and sick, and air-cooling systems in the waiting areas. He assured that these issues would be addressed without hindering operations. “We have been able to identify one or two things that were omitted during the design and we believe that during the operation, some of those things will be taken into consideration,” he said.
Wike attributed the project’s success to President Tinubu’s support, stating, “Assuming we are not getting his support, this wouldn’t have been a reality. So, we want to thank him for the support.”
On funding, Wike revealed that the FCT Administration renegotiated the training cost for personnel, reducing it from $128 million to $75 million, saving the Federal Government about $53 million. “Before we came, the former Administration approved $128 million for the training of our people by CCECC for 29 months, and we said no, that’s very exorbitant. We renegotiated with CCECC and now it has been brought down to 75 million dollars. We have saved no less than $53 million US Dollars for the government,” he explained.
The Abuja Rail Mass Transit scheme includes eight stations: Abuja Metro, Stadium, Kukwaba I, Kukwaba II, Wupa, Idu, Basanjiwa, and Airport.
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