The foundation of the Lagos-Ibadan segment of the Lagos-Kano rail project will be laid before the end of the first quarter of this year, the Federal Government has said. It also confirmed that it had secured $1.5 billion from the China Exim Bank to commence work on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed these on Tuesday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Land Transport to give a status report of the ministry’s 2016 budget, as well as present that of 2017.

Amaechi said the target of the government was to commence work on the rail project from the Apapa seaport down to Ogun State and then to Ibadan. The minister said, “In the first quarter of 2017, the foundation of the Lagos-Ibadan segment two of the Lagos-Kano rail project will be laid. The implication here is that we will start the Lagos-Ibadan rail line before the end of March.