ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO DEVELOP A RAILWAY SYSTEM IN THE AREA.

Abia State Government wants to collaborate with the Nigeria Railway Corporation to develop a railway system in the area. This, the government believes will support its drive to promote small and medium scale enterprises. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu made this known when the management of the Corporation paid him a courtesy visit at Government House Umuahia.

Governor Ikpeazu said at inception, his administration drew a programme of action which one of the major keys was improving the transport system to drive trade and commerce, oil and gas and other pillars of development. According to the Governor, with the recognition of Aba as the SME capital of Nigeria with the potential to export over one million pairs of shoes weekly, building an effective rail line from the city to various commercial centres in the country becomes imperative.

The Governor emphasized the importance of railway as alternative means of transportation and expressed the government’s readiness to actualize the project. Earlier, the Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr. Fidet Okhiria observed that for a country to grow commercially and industrially  it must have  good rail system.

A lead Consultant with Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr. Jetson Nwankwo in a presentation enumerated the gains of building a rail line  in the State to include easy and cheap means of transportation of goods and services, employment and economic growth.

IRUOMA EKE