Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) inaugurated the first phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line on Tuesday.
This was as he rode with other top government officials on their inaugural ride from Marina Station to National Theatre Station.
Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, revealed this in a statement titled ‘President Buhari inaugurates Phase 1 of Lagos Blue Rail Line; takes train ride.’
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated at the event that the Line would accommodate approximately 25,000 passengers per hour, reducing travel time, improving the quality of life of Lagosians, and making the state one of the most resilient megacities in Africa.
He went on to say that the infrastructure will help Lagos compete favorably with other global megacities.
“This iconic Marina Station would be the largest and busiest in Africa,” said the governor. It can process about 450 passengers per minute, which means that in an hour, this station can handle about 25,000 passengers.”
Sanwo-Olu also hinted that the President would be invited back to Lagos to commission the Red Line, which he described as a larger rail corridor project than the Blue Rail Line.
Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor of Lagos, stated that the Blue Line project was inspired by the APC’s current presidential candidate and former Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu, he claims, envisioned and laid the groundwork for the project as governor.
He mentioned that the master plan includes six rail lines and one monorail, 14 BRT corridors, more than 20 water routes, and several major roads.
“Talking about the Blue line without making a reference to the ground-breaking contributions of the presidential candidate of our great party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is like talking about the beach without the ocean.
“Asiwaju Tinubu, a visionary leader, pioneered the idea of the Lagos Blue Line and many other revolutionary initiatives.
“The Tinubu administration developed the Strategic Transport Master Plan, which laid the groundwork for a network of robust and modern transportation infrastructure fit for a 21st century City-State like ours,” Hamzat explained.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, stated that the completion of Phase 1 of the project demonstrates the harmony in Nigeria-Asian Tiger bilateral relations.
Following that, Buhari boarded the train with the Lagos State Governor, his Deputy, members of the Federal and State Executive Councils, members of the Federal and State Legislative Assemblies, Chen Sichang, President of China Civil Engineering Construction Company, and journalists, among others.
The President also witnessed the signing of the contract for the second phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line by Abimbola Akinajo, Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, and Chen Sichang, President of CCECC.
The State Government’s first phase of the project spans 13 kilometers.
Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre, and Marina are the five stations.
Earlier, the President also dedicated the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History before departing for Dakar, Senegal, to attend the high-level Dakar 2 Summit hosted by Senegal’s President Macky Sall, the African Union’s Chairperson.
