President Bola Tinubu has announced that commuters on the Abuja Metro Line will enjoy free train rides until the end of the year.
On Wednesday, President Tinubu announced the free rides at the re-launch of commercial operations on the Abuja Light Rail.
Before taking a 40-minute ride on the metro line, the president said: “Our dear Landlord, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), I have heard you say there will be free train rides for two months.
The President described the reopening of the Abuja Metro Line as a “symbolic milestone of enduring progress” for Nigeria and the FCT.
He noted that the metro, first commissioned in 2018, had been abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent vandalism.
However, Tinubu praised Minister Wike for delivering on the promise to revitalize the metro service within nine months.
Highlighting the importance of efficient transportation, President Tinubu added: “Transportation gives hope and access to various individuals and organizations.”
He also emphasized the new national anthem’s theme of dedication to the nation’s service, urging Nigerians to stay committed to national development.
Additionally, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, recounted how the President’s directive in September 2023 motivated the swift action to complete the project.
He stated that the finalization of the metro line was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the CBN and other financial bodies.
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President Tinubu commissions Abuja Metro Line [Photocredit: Facebook]Furthermore, Wike added that the collaborative efforts facilitated a $30 million payment to the contractors, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
Also, the minister said that the construction of access roads to the stations cost N21.4 billion.
Similarly, Minister Wike affirmed that the operationalization of the metro line symbolizes the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying, “We have given back renewed hope to the people. The Renewed Hope Agenda is real, working, and practical. This station stands as a promise made and a promise kept.”
Similarly, Chinedu Elechi, the FCT Mandate Secretary for Transportation, provided an overview of the project.
Chinedu noted that the metro line has 12 trains, each with a capacity of 700 passengers, making 14 trips daily.
He said that the potential monthly passenger capacity is estimated at 980,000 in the FCT.
In attendance were high-profile officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
