Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, on Thursday said the federal government had approved $5.3 billion for Ibadan-Kano standard gauge rail line project.

Amaechi disclosed this at the third maritime stakeholders interactive forum.

Amaechi revealed that also underway is the construction of coastal rail from Port Harcourt to Warri for which the government has applied for funds.

Amaechi said “Just yesterday, we got approval to complete the $5.3bn Ibadan to Kano rail project. We have also applied for funding to commence coastal rail for the Port Harcourt to Warri segment,”

In a statement issued by the ministry of transportation, the minister said Gbemisola Saraki, the minister of state in the ministry, will supervise the maritime sector, while he takes charge of the railway sector.

Amaechi said there would be a change in the way projects are managed and supervised, noting that supervision of the projects would no longer be left in the hands of heads of agencies.

“In my first term as minister, I completely abandoned the maritime sector to the heads of agencies. This time, that won’t be happening again,” he said.

“I have instructed that the Minister of State for Transportation should personally supervise the maritime agencies, while I just oversee what is happening.”

He added that he discussed issues affecting the maritime sector with President Muhammadu Buhari, and that by next year, ”the country will have a single window in the maritime sector”.

“There are two things I discussed with Mr. President that I will be focusing on in this second term as minister, and they are maritime security and the single window project,” Amaechi said.

“I have assured the government that by the end of 2020, we should have the single window at our maritime sector.

“On maritime security, I have told the Israeli firm HSLI that they are too slow. By now, they should have launched. I want to know the situation of things with the aspect of security on our maritime space.”