Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the construction of rail line from his hometown, Daura, to Kano.

Amaechi also disclosed that the president approved rail lines from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri; Kano to Maiduguri; Makurdi to Jos, Gombe to Yobe and Borno; and Jigawa to Niger Republic.

The transportation minister made the disclosure in Abuja on Friday at ‘The Osasu Show Symposium — with the theme: ”The economy and its effects on the less privileged”. Amaechi lambasted previous administrations for mismanaging the country’s infrastructure, adding that much has to be done to restore the railway activities, and drive the economy.

He said: ”GE (General Electric) came here and announced that they would give us 100 locomotives, we did the audit; our narrow gauge can’t carry 17 locomotives, so by October 1st to October 2nd, we would be launching about six to ten locomotives, because our narrow gauge can’t carry more than that.

”Government said concession this narrow gauge, and we have successfully done that to the extent that we are able to sign an agreement with GE. By October GE will take over the narrow gauge and begin to run from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.”