Live from Itakpe in Kogi State. This is one of the construction workers on #ItakpeWarriRail Line. “I praise the [Buhari Administration]. Before now we didn’t know there was a rail line in Kogi State. It’s Buhari that’s made it possible for us to see this. Make God bless am.”
Usman is a mechanical technician. He used to be a driver, then switched to technical work (which he says he learned from childhood, tinkering with cars.) He worked on the Obajana cement plant in 2015/16, and has now worked on #ItakpeWarriRail for 8 months.
Paul is from Kogi State. He is a Payloader operator, has been on the #ItakpeWarriRail project for about nine months. He’s looking forward to completing this phase of the project and starting work on the #ItakpeAbujaRail phase. #TheYearofInfrastructure
When this #ItakpeWarriRail is completed, you will be able to travel from Kogi State to Delta State by Rail, passing through Ajaokuta, Uromi, Agbor, and Abraka. In the next phase, the line will extend from Itakpe to Abuja. #TheYearofInfrastructure #RailUPng
Today we’re going to take a ride on the Train, from Itakpe, all the way to Warri. I’ll bring updates. #ItakpeWarriRail #RailUPng
Mohammed is from Ajaokuta in Kogi State. He’s a foreman on the #ItakpeWarriRail project. He’s also an inventor. Showed me videos of stuff he’s built. A drone, and a miniature payloader.
We’re boarding the Train. The next stop will be Ajaokuta Station. Final destination: Warri.

Please mind the gap between the train and the platform. (Or, as we’d say in Lagos: “If you like don’t mind the gap between the train and the platform.”) #ItakpeWarriRail #EnterWithChange
If someone had told me I’d travel eight hours through the heart of Nigeria, without any Internet on any mobile networks, I’d say izzalie. Phew. But it’s been a fascinating ride.

We’ve traveled by Train through:
Itakpe
Adogo
Ajaokuta
Agenebode
Uromi
Igbanke
Agbor

Now in Delta
Construction Workers. iPhone portraits from #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour. #RailUPng (I’ve been sleeping on the iPhone Portrait Mode)
More (iPhone) photos from #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour.

It’s a ~320km Rail Line that will form the Central Line of Nigeria’s National Rail Network. Currently runs from Itakpe in Kogi State to Warri in Delta State. There are plans to link to Lokoja, and then Abuja.
Testimony Time.

This is a youth leader in one of the communities where a Passenger Station is being constructed on the #ItakpeWarriRail Line. #RailUPng

PS. He has his views on 2019...
When this #ItakpeWarriRail Line was started by President Babangida circa 1987, it was planned as a freight-only Rail, serving the Iron Ore / Steel belt between Aladja and Ajaokuta.

It is now being reconfigured as a PASSENGER + Freight Rail, to maximize usefulness. #RailUPng
Dear @MTNNG @AirtelNigeria @9mobileng @GloWorld @ntelng

Time to start planning base stations for the #ItakpeWarriRail Route. It’s currently a service ‘desert’. 12 Stations in all, in Kogi, Edo, Delta.

Let’s start #TelcoWars, be the first to launch. You won’t regret it!
Traveling these 300 or so kilometers by Train across the center of Nigeria feels like touring an estate through the backyards of its houses. Very different feel from the ‘main road’ view.

Soon, hopefully, it’ll be an experience everyone is familiar with!
#ItakpeWarriRail
Minister of Transport @ChibuikeAmaechi, on the #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour, today. (still ongoing, we’re still on the Train, now approaching Warri)
Warri, finally! The young people of Warri have never seen a Train pull up in their city before. #ItakpeWarriRail #TheYearofInfrastructure
My Warri brothers and sisters came on board to have a feel of (and photos on) the #ItakpeWarriRail Train 🚊
If you watch only one video from today: THIS. Oghenerume is from the Warri community where the final Train Station is. Tells me his late father was involved in the #ItakpeWarriRail project,and that his dream before he died was for it to be completed. “Thank you President Buhari!”
More of my Photos from today’s #ItakpeWarriRail Inspection Tour.

(All 📷: iPhone Portrait Mode)
Dignity of labour. #ItakpeWarriRail
Many of these men told me they’ve been employed for about 8-9 months.
This is one of the 12 Stops on the #ItakpeWarriRail Line. Earthworks and Construction of Passenger Stations in progress.

The biggest Station on the route will be in Agbor. Agbor is also home to a large Railway Village where the ‘control center’ of the line is located.
Brief interview with the Minister of Transport, on board the #ItakpeWarriRail Train. It’s been more than 30 years in the making; FG is planning to extend it to Lokoja asap, etc. #RailUPng #TheYearofInfrastructure

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More from @toluogunlesi

Feb 18
A thread about Nigeria’s Conditional Cash Transfer program @HUPcct - one of the programs under the National Social Investment Programme; and whether N5,000 a month (current monthly payment, to 1.6 million Nigerian households) can make a difference in people’s lives or not.
HM @Sadiya_farouq was asked about the N5,000 at #StateHouseBriefing yesterday. A journalist, asking a question, spoke dismissively about the amount - that N5,000 cannot do anything.
Minister’s reply:

“Saying 5,000 cannot make a difference in ppl’s lives is an elitist statement. We know, ‘cos we’ve gone to the field. We’ve seen ppl, when you pay them this @HUPcct 5k, they cry ‘cos they’ve never seen 5k before. It goes a long way, changes their status.”
Read 14 tweets
Feb 17
This week’s #StateHouseBriefing is about to start. Our guest is the Hon Minister @FMHDSD, @Sadiya_farouq.

She will be speaking on the National Social Investment Programme, National Emergency Response, IDPs, PLWDs, etc

Watch LIVE here:
#StateHouseBriefing

Hon Minister @Sadiya_farouq here with senior officials of the Ministry and Agency Heads.
Read 4 tweets
Feb 15
In his wide-ranging @daily_trust interview, published on Sunday, Senator Shettima quotes the following people:

Usman dan Fodio
Sir Ahmadu Bello
Confucius
Leo Tolstoy
Charles Darwin
Abraham Lincoln
Ali ibn Abi-Talib
Henry Kissinger
Herbert Sebastian Agar
Read 4 tweets
Feb 15
.@KashimSM on his successor: @ProfZulum

“Our relationship is directly related to our commitment to the service of our people and country… Our state was very lucky to find such a person in Professor Zulum… Borno State got it right with him….”

#Thread
“I am a philosopher king, and none of the vagaries of power holds much tenacious attraction to me. In life, as in politics, there are the winter years; you go into hibernation and blossom during the summer period.” — Senator @KashimSM
“I held sway for eight years, but when a new sheriff came into town I had to move up to a higher plane and went off the radar and allowed him to blossom and call the shots.”
Read 7 tweets
Feb 2
Made a vow to mostly mind my Biz this year. But when I see a horribly wrong, IGNORANT, stupid tweet like this, I can’t help diving in 😀

1. China doesn’t give you money to do as you please with.

2. Kano-Maradi Rail is NOT a Chinese project! mota-engil.com/wp-content/upl…

#thread
“China gave you loan to build railways and you decided to build one to the deserts of Niger.”

Clearly ignorant as to how these loans work. He thinks China just hands over cash and @NigeriaGov decides to do whatever they wish with the cash.

LMAO. This is really daft, sorry
All loans from China are tied to specific projects - so far the portfolio includes Rail, Airport and ICT projects. The details are public, on @DMONigeria website.

So the idea that Nigeria can decide what to use a loan for, post-approval, suggests this person KNOWS NOTHING
Read 6 tweets
Feb 2
“Within 18 days between November 25th and December 13th 2021, the progressive administration of President Muhammadu Buhari handed over 941 km of (rehabilitated) roads connecting 10 States in five geo-political zones across the country.” — HM @tundefashola, Min @FMWHNIG

#Thread
Sokoto - Tambuwal -Jega - Kontagora - Makera Road Phases I & II in Sokoto and Kebbi States. Commissioned and Handed-over on Thursday November 25, 2021.

#infrastructure

See Testimonials and Photos below:
November 29, 2021: Vandeikya—Obudu Cattle Ranch Road (Phases I and II) in Benue State, commissioned and handed over by @FMWHNIG

#PMBInfrastructure

Testimonials and Photos:
Read 6 tweets

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