The Federal House of Representatives Wednesday, December 7, 2022, urged the federal government to reverse its earlier decision on the $14.4 billion east-west rail line project by continuing its implementation because of its economic importance to the nation. The House also urged the federal government to review its 25-year Railway Strategic Plan part of which was to unbundle and commercialise the Nigeria Railway Corporation. It mandated its Committee on Land Transportation to liaise with Federal Ministry of Transportation and other relevant government agencies to ensure that the East-West Coastal Rail Project was captured in the 2023 budget estimates. The resolutions of the House followed the unanimous adoption of a motion move by Hon. Dozie Nwankwo at plenary yesterday. Moving the motion, Nwankwo said the Federal Executive Council had in April 2017, granted approval for the construction of 1,400km Standard Gauge East-West Coastal Rail Line Project linking Lagos-Ore-Benin-SapeleWarri-Yenagoa-PortHarcourt-Aba-Uyo-Calabar-Akamkpa-Ikom with a branch line from Benin to Asaba-Onitsha-Port Harcourt-Onne Deep Seaport.
