President Bola Tinubu has extended the free train rides on the Abuja Rail Mass Transit, also known as the Metro Rail, for an additional four months, making it a total of six months of free rides for residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The extension was announced during the inauguration ceremony of the metro rail’s commercial operations on May 30, 2024.
During his address at the event, President Tinubu expressed his gratitude for the completion of the project and praised it as a symbol of progress, connectivity, and inclusivity. He also acknowledged Minister Wike’s earlier announcement of two months of free train rides and appealed for its extension to give hope and reasons to celebrate to the people of FCT.
Minister Wike had earlier revealed that the contract for rehabilitating the rail line was awarded in 2018 but faced funding challenges. He thanked key government officials who intervened to secure payment to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), enabling the completion of the project.
The minister further disclosed that N21.4bn was spent on constructing access roads to various stations and fitting them with car parks. He stated that all these projects were completed before the commissioning ceremony following a directive from President Tinubu.
