Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the first phase of the 13km Lagos Mass Transit Blue Line Rail Project.The first phase of the train rail project stretches from Marina on Lagos Island to Mile 2 along Badagry Road and has five stations.
The stations are Marina Iconic station, National Theatre, Orile-Iganmu, Suru-Alaba and Mile 2.
President Buhari, who inaugurated the rail project as part of his two-day state visit to Lagos State, witnessed the signing of the contract for the construction of the Second Phase of the Lagos Mass Transit Blue Line Rail.
The Nigerian leader also took a ride on the train with the Governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Gov. Dr Obafemi Hamzat and other dignitaries.
According to officials of the Lagos State government, the Blue Line is one of the six metro lines identified in the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) master plan.
It is a 27km rail route that will run from Marina to Okokomaiko, when completed, and is being implemented in two phases.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the governor of Lagos state said that the Phase 1 of the Blue Line was expected to cover the stretch in less than 15 minutes, compared with the rush-hour time of 2.5 hours, if undertaken by road.
He explained that the benefits of the rail line are obvious and unquantifiable as it is a more efficient transport service that improved the quality of life of Lagos residents.
The governor said that the project would free up more of the residents’ time, reduce the pressure on the roads, and contribute to Nigeria’s lofty climate action obligations.
According to him, the Blue Line rail system will be powered end-to-end by high voltage electricity to be supplied by a dedicated Independent Power Producer (IPP), as well as back-up systems.
”This iconic Marina Station that is hosting us today will be the largest and busiest train hub in Africa, with a capacity to process as many as 400 passengers per minute, translating into 24,000 passengers every hour.
”When Phase 1 starts running fully, we envisage that it will transport a quarter of a million Lagosians daily, rising to half a million daily when the entire corridor is completed.
”Mr President, I thank you for the Federal Government’s support on this project and many others.
“You have made our work administering Lagos much easier in many ways, and we will eternally be grateful to you for this,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Cui Jianchun, said that the Blue Line rail project was a speed line would reduce time of doing business in Lagos.
”Today we really understand the meaning of time, we need to sustain the usage of time for greater efficiency.
”Nigeria and China have harmony in collaboration in sustainable development, the two countries have the same vision to move the countries forward,” he said.
