NIGERIA: President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the initial section of the Abuja metro on July 12.
China Civil Engineering & Construction Corp acted as main contractor, and construction started in 2007.
The 27·3 km Yellow Line runs from Abuja station to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the 18 km Blue Line connects from Idu to Gbazango. There are 12 stations.
The US$824m project cost was 60% funded by loans from Export-Import Bank of China. The bank also provided US$194m for a fleet of 16 three-car trainsets, which CRRC Dalian has supplied. These are currently being hauled by diesel locomotives, as electrification is not yet complete.
A 78 km metro network is planned for the capital. The next stage would add 32·5 km and 13 stations at a cost of US$1·3bn by building a line from Nnamdi Azikve Expressway to Gwagwa and extending the Blue Line from Gbazango to Kubwa.
