The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has assured that the Abuja Rail Mass Transit project would be delivered by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd (CCECC) in 12 months.

The FCT permanent secretary, Olusade Adesola revealed this at the flag-off ceremony of the restoration of the transportation infrastructure recently.

Adesola described the light rail as the lifeblood of Abuja, noting it would play a crucial role in easing the transportation challenges of residents.

The permanent secretary also described vandalism of the equipment as a serious setback to the administration while assuring that the FCT would soon witness the return of a more efficient and reliable transportation system.

The multi-billion-naira Abuja Rail Mass Transit project which was abandoned for more than four years after being commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 may be completed in 12 months from now as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken a step to rehabilitate and continue the project. 

The project was originally designed to find concrete solutions to the transportation challenges – heavy traffic in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs since many residents of the FCT who reside in satellite towns and work within Abuja metropolis require transportation to and from work. 

The railway project also became necessary because most people rely on private vehicles and mini-buses for transportation into the city and a ban on the use of commercial motorcycles has increased dependency on informal methods of transportation.

With the worrisome abandonment, the FCTA has estimated that it would spend N5 billion on the rehabilitation of vital equipment of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) system that was vandalized by hoodlums following its temporary shutdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Source: Leadership