The Transporter

If there was any doubt about Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s capacity and commitment to resolving the seemingly intractable problem of transportation in Lagos State; that doubt was clinically and comprehensively dispelled with the commissioning recently of the Red Line Rail project as part of the Lagos Mass Rail Transit.

BY ADESHINA OYE AYO

& BABAIDE OBAFIYY

Some call him ‘Mr. Sellable’ because of his

effortlessly charming persona and a robust

catalogue of achievements. Some others label

him ‘Mr. Infrastructure’ because of the huge

investments in, and turnaround of Lagos’

infrastructures. For another class of discerning

Lagosians, Governor Sanwo Olu has inadvertently

evolved from a politician to a ‘Transporter’ Not

because he has joined the National Union of Road

Transport Workers, NURTW, but because of the revival

of the rail transportation system in Lagos.

On February 29, 2021, Lagos heaved and pulsated

with excitement as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

joined Governor Sanwo Olu, some of Nigeria’s

preeminent political figures, business moguls, and

captains of industries to commission the first phase of

the Red Line Rail project in Ikeja, which construction

commenced on the 15th of April 2021 and was

completed in 30months.

The first phase of the 37km rail line runs from Agbado

in Ogun State to the Oyingbo axis of Lagos State. It has

eight stations namely Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja,

Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo with a direct link

to the international and domestic wings of the

Murtala Muhammed Airport. It is expected to reduce

travel time from two or more hours to 40 minutes and

improve transportation and logistics in the state while

the project holds the capacity to transport an

impressive 1.1 million people daily when fully

operational.

The

Transporter

…President Tinubu Joins Governor Sanwo-Olu to

Commission the Red Line Train Project

…Oyingbo, Yaba, and Ikeja Flyovers come alive