Senator Victor Umeh has expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate leadership for including the reconstruction of the Eastern rail line in the newly approved $21 billion foreign loan request.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Umeh recalled how he passionately raised the issue of excluding the Eastern corridor—running from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri—during the 2025 budget discussions.
He commended Senate President Godswill Akpabio for giving him the opportunity to voice the concerns of the Southeast and for promising to escalate the matter to the President.
“I was thrilled to see that $3 billion has now been allocated to the Eastern rail line. This inclusion in the foreign loan request is a fulfilment of a long-standing demand by people of the Southeast and other regions along the corridor,” Umeh said.
The lawmaker recalled President Tinubu’s earlier promise during a January visit to the Southeast, where regional stakeholders raised similar concerns. “With this move, the federal government has shown that it listens and acts. This is a significant step toward equitable development,” Umeh added.
Senate President Akpabio responded warmly, applauding Umeh’s bipartisan support and reiterating that good governance knows no party lines. “This is the Nigeria we all want—where national interest comes first,” Akpabio said.
The Senate on Tuesday approved President Tinubu’s $21 billion loan request, which included allocations for major infrastructure projects nationwide. The Eastern rail line, which has long been neglected, is set to benefit substantially from the financing.
The development has been hailed as a win for inclusivity, national integration, and infrastructure equity, particularly for the Southeast and Northeastern regions that rely heavily on the corridor for economic activity.