The Presidency has clarified statement on the rail line contract to Niger Republic which has generated controversy in the past few days.
In a statement released by presidential aide, Garba Shehu, he clarified that the government was only building a rail line to a designated border point between the African countries and not into Niger as widely misconstrued.
According to the statement, the rail line would facilitate the easy movement of raw materials , mineral resources and agricultural produce to serve domestic industries.
It reads;
“Nigeria isn’t building rail line into Niger but, only to the designated Border point.
“An agreement between Nigeria and Niger in 2015, coordinated by the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation has a plan for “Kano-Katsina-Maradi Corridor Master Plan, (K2M)” as it is called.
“Going by this, the two nations would each build a rail track to meet at the border town of Maradi.
“Nigerian delegates to that meeting comprised officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Boundaries Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources as well as those of Kano and Katsina states.
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“The objective of the rail is the harnessing of raw materials, mineral resources and agricultural produce. When completed, it will serve domestic industries and play the role of a a viable transportation backbone to the West African subregion, starting with the neighboring Niger Republic for their export and import logistic chain.”