Buhari and Sanwo-Olu commissioned the Lagos Blue Rail Line

Earlier on Tuesday, Buhari officially opened the JK Randle Center for Yoruba Culture and History. He did not speak on the occasion.

On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari officially opened the Blue Rail Line in Lagos State, which runs from Marina to Mile 2.

The project was inaugurated by the President, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, at the state’s Marina Train Station.

The President was present as Phase 2 of the project, from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, was officially launched.

aerial image of the rail undertaking.

Tuesday’s presentation featured Sanw-Olu thanking the President for the state’s support, which included the tax cuts and waivers given for the project.

READ ALSO: Buhari opens the Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Lagos Rice Mill

Earlier on Tuesday, Buhari officially opened the JK Randle Center for Yoruba Culture and History. He did not speak on the occasion.

On Monday, the President also officially opened the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Imota Rice Mill, and Bestaf Lubricant, all of which are located in Lagos and are owned by MRS Holdings Company Limited.

The initiatives are part of a number of infrastructure projects that Buhari will dedicate during his two-day stay in the region.

See the full statement by the Presidency: 

PRESIDENT BUHARI OFFICIATES THE START OF PHASE 1 OF THE LAGOS BLUE RAIL LINE; TAKES A TRAIN RIDE

President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the first phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line on Tuesday, taking a ride from the Marina Station to the National Theater Station. 

The President was aboard the trip with Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, members of the Federal and State Executive Councils, members of the Federal and State Legislative Assemblies, President of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Chen Sichang, and journalists, among others. 

The first phase of the project, executed by the state government, which spans 13 kilometers, has five stations: Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, the National Theatre, and Marina. 

President Buhari also witnessed the signing of the contract for the construction of second phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line by the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Abimbola Akinajo and President of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Chen Sichang.

In his remarks, Governor Sanwo-Olu thanked the President for the state visit to commission several landmark projects, noting that since 1999, the state has not enjoyed this level of support from the federal government. 

On the benefits of the project, the governor stated that it would reduce travel time, improve the quality of life of citizens, and make Lagos one of the most resilient megacities in Africa that would compete favourably with other megacities around the world. 

Sanwo-Olu hinted that he would invite the President again to Lagos to commission the Red Line, which he described as a bigger rail corridor project compared with the Blue Rail Line. 

This iconic Marina Station would be the largest and busiest in Africa. “It has the capacity to process about 450 passengers per minute, meaning that in an hour this station can process about 25,000 passengers,” he said. 

Hamzat, the Lagos Deputy Governor, traced the pioneering role of the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in envisioning and laying the foundation for the project as governor of Lagos State. 

“Talking about the blue line without making a reference to the ground-breaking contributions of the presidential candidate of our great party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is like talking about the beach without the ocean.

” A visionary leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, pioneered the idea of the Lagos Blue Line and many other revolutionary initiatives. 

” The Tinubu administration developed the Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), which laid out the foundation for a network of robust and modern transport infrastructure befitting a 21st century city-state such as ours.

 The master plan has six rail lines and one monorail, 14 bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors, over 20 water routes, and a number of major roads.

 “Thanks to Asiwaju’s creative leadership, today we are making history with the completion of this rail line,” he said. 

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, said the completion of the first phase of the project is a demonstration of the harmony in the bilateral relations between Nigeria and China. 

“It is a harmony in integration, diversity, and development,” he said. 

Earlier, before leaving Lagos for Dakar, Senegal, President Buhari also inaugurated the John Randle Center for Yoruba Culture and History, after which he toured the facility. 

Femi Adesina 
Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), January 24, 2023