Free transport and working trains – what more of an Eid gift could Nigerians wish for?
In Abuja, today, a free train service began today between the capital and Kaduna to the north.
Many people who work in Abuja actually live in Kaduna because of the high cost of housing. Their families stay in Kaduna and they commute home for the weekends.
In recent years, traffic had also made the road from Abuja to Kaduna dangerous, with fatal accidents recorded on an almost daily basis.
So there was great excitement this morning when officials allowed people to use the new Chinese-built railway link that has just been finished. It will be officially opened by President Muhammadu Buhari at the end of the month.
Until then, the Nigerian Railway Corporation says commuters can travel the 186km journey, which takes two hours, for free.
The project is part of rail infrastructure plan that will connect the southern cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri with the northern cities of Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Bauchi.
Jide Salu’s Diary 