In addition to other things in the 2023 budget, the Federal Government, or FG, has proposed spending about N30 billion to instal an acoustic sensing security monitoring system for the Abuja (IDU)–Kaduna railway.
Among the other projects are the completion of the Abuja-Kaduna railway, the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan railway and related works, the repair of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta train line, and the building of 12 NOS stations and laying tracks at the railway ancillary facilities area in Agbor.
The sum, which is a component of the executive proposal made by the federal government in the 2023 Appropriations Bill, includes more than N126.53 billion for the parent Ministry of Transport.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) gets N20.45 billion, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) gets N5.39 billion, and the headquarters of the Ministry of Transport get N93.66 billion.
The National Institute of Transportation (NIT) will get N4.69 million, the Maritime Academy in Oron will get N1.55 billion, and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria will also get N1.55 billion.
Additionally, the Federal Government has proposed allocating N4.31 billion of its N126.53 billion budget for the acquisition of trains, under line item code 23010111, while N100 billion would be used to support the mass transit plan.
N2.98 billion would be spent on the ongoing narrow gauge track renovation from Minna to Narrow, with extension to the Baro River Port, and the purchase and rehabilitation of narrow gauge rolling stock.
Additionally, the ongoing establishment and management of six national freight offices across the country costs N100 million, while N10 million will go toward education and the creation of speed reduction signage with the help of the Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA, and the International Road Assessment Program, CIRAP.
The federal government also has N45 million set aside for repairs to the central air conditioning system, restrooms, offices, leaks on the roof, and a physical head count of the ministry’s workforce.
