PRESS RELEASE
Construction of Okokomaiko-Marina Rail line set to begin
With a bold inscription, “We are ready,” the contractor appointed to build the Okokomaiko-Marina Lagos Rail Mass Transit, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) set the stage for the commencement of one of the rail line for Lagos, which is capable of moving over three hundred thousand passengers daily at commencement of operations.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on a visit to the equipment and prefabrication yards of the contractor in Lagos, said the whole world is looking to Lagos as it pushes ahead to solve the transportation challenges faced by the over seven million commuters in the state with the construction of two of the seven rail roads planned for Lagos by the government.
Governor Fashola disclosed that a number of Nigerians working in the London underground rail system have been making enquiries on when the project would begin as they had indicated interest in returning home to help in developing the first rail system to be embarked upon by any state in Nigeria. “Nigerians working in London in the underground rail system have spoken to me that they want to come back home and run an efficient rail system.”
He said the vision of the state government was to make public transportation faster, safer and efficient, adding, “it is a winner for Nigeria and Lagos State. It will improve the quality of life in our nation and help transport goods and services. A good rail system such as the one we want to build for Lagos would surely deliver that. This is apart from the jobs it would provide for Nigeria. Currently there are over 4000 Nigerians working on this project.” |
L-R: Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Mr. Paul Kalejaiye, Special Adviser, Rural Development, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and Mr. Shi Stone of CCECC briefing Governor Fashola on preparations towards the start of construction of the Okokomaiko-Marina rail line.
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Some of the workers mobilized for the Blue Line (Okokomaiko-CMS) of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system displaying a large banner with the inscription “We are ready” to indicate their readiness to commence construction of the rail system capable of moving more than 300,000 passengers daily.
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“The Okokomaiko-Marina Lagos Mass Transit system would take 36 months to construct and we are sure that with its construction and eventual operations, we would have taken a bold step in solving the transportation challenges of the good people of Lagos.
“We also hope that with the collaboration with the Federal Government to use part of its corridor for the Red line which would run from Marina to Agbado and eventually Ijoko in neigbouring Ogun State, the stage would be set to move more than 1.6 million passengers per day.
“We have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Railway Corporation on the use of its corridor but we need the Federal Government’s eventual nod to get this going. We need to get faster because ‘we are ready to go’” the Governor stated.
He also spoke on other mass transportation initiatives designed to deliver affordable, reliable, safe and efficient transportation system for Lagos disclosing that the redevelopment of the Murtala Muhammed Road, with a segregated lane for BRT was nearing completion and “this will expedite the extension of the present BRT corridor from Mile 12 to Iddo and CMS”.
While calling on Lagosians to be patient as his administration delivers on its electoral promises, Governor Fashola called for the continued support of the people for the administration in making life easy for everyone resident in Lagos while admonishing them to pay their tax.
The Project Manager for the rail project, Mr Shi Hongbing while briefing on the Blue Line said the survey and detailed design of the project had been completed saying the contracting firm was only waiting the nod of the state government to commence construction.
For further information, please contact:
Kolawole Ojelabi
External Relations Specialist,
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA),
Block C, 2nd Floor Motorways Center,
1, Motorways Avenue, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.
Tel: 08038556452, 017905343
Email: kojelabi@lamata-ng.com; kolawoleojelabi@gmail.com
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