Nigeria and its northern neighbor Niger will build a rail link and government officials from the two west African countries are meeting to finalize arrangements for the financing and construction work, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported on Sunday.

The meeting, involving the ministers of transport of the two countries, was being held under the auspices of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission in Nigeria's capital Abuja, the report said.

Nigerian Minister of State for Transport Muhammed Aliyu was quoted as saying that a pact was expected to be signed at the end of the meeting, to fast-track the development of the rail line that will run from Kaura Namoda-Sokoto in Nigeria to Birnin-N' konni in Niger.

Aliyu said that already, a feasibility study on the rail link had been conducted by a Nigerian firm, Messers TEAM Ltd., noting that construction had been stalled due to lack of funds.

Nigerien Minister of Transport Alhaji Souleymane Kane also tasked the meeting to formalize the agreement on road transport between the two countries, which was signed in Maiduguri in 1990.

Secretary-General of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission Layi Oyedele said at the meeting that funds for the execution of the rail link were expected to be sourced from the two national governments and contributions from donor agencies.

Source: Xinhua