Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Alkali, has allegedly abandoned the Eastern Railway project in the South-East and moved it to his home state of Gombe. Sources say this decision is politically motivated. Find out details .
Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Ahmed Alkali, has been accused of diverting the $3.02 billion Eastern Railway rehabilitation project from the South-East to his home state of Gombe, allegedly to boost his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 governorship elections.
The project, awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in 2021, was originally designed to reconstruct the Eastern railway corridor, stretching from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, passing through 12 states, including key South-East cities such as Aba, Umuahia, and Enugu.
According to sources cited by Sahara Reporters, CCECC completed the Port Harcourt to Aba section in November 2024 and handed it over to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). The next phase was expected to extend the railway from Aba to Enugu, covering major commercial and political hubs in the South-East.
However, insiders allege that immediately after the Port Harcourt-Aba section was commissioned, Minister Alkali instructed CCECC to halt work in the South-East and instead relocate resources to Gombe, where construction reportedly resumed on the Gombe-Bauchi railway line.
A source within the NRC disclosed: “The Minister had announced that after Aba, the next phase would be Enugu, but suddenly, contractors were redirected to Gombe instead, skipping Umuahia, Enugu, and Makurdi.”
Sources claim the decision to divert the railway project is tied to Alkali’s political calculations, as he is allegedly positioning himself for the 2027 Gombe State governorship race.
Another NRC insider revealed: “Culverts and bridges between Aba and Enugu had been completed, and track laying was the next step. Instead of continuing, the Minister pulled the contractors out and sent them to his state, Gombe.”
This development has sparked outrage, particularly among South-East stakeholders, who view it as another act of marginalization against the region.
Sahara Reporters reached out to CCECC’s spokesperson, Chief Emeka Nwachukwu, who refused to give a clear response, saying: “Ask the Ministry of Transportation or the Nigerian Railway Corporation. They are in a better position to answer your questions.”
Similarly, when contacted for comments, Janet McDickson, Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Transportation, declined to respond directly, stating: “Bring an official letter for your inquiry. Make it official. I don’t know who I am speaking with.”
Amid growing concerns over the diversion of the railway project, stakeholders from the South-East are demanding immediate explanations from the Federal Government. Some leaders have called for an urgent review of the project to ensure fair distribution of infrastructure development across all regions.
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