April 19, 2021

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed that the rail projects embarked upon by the state government will gulp over ₦100 billion.

He disclosed this during an interview on Sunday Politics, a political programme which aired on Channels Television on Sunday.

“It is a lot of money, it is well over N100 billion,” he said in reaction to the cost of the rail projects being constructed by the state government.

“I don’t criticise my predecessors but indeed for whatever planning or reasons, he never funded it. When we came back last two years, the contractor has since moved from about 55 per cent to about 93 per cent in terms of the physical construction of phase 1.”

The governor also accused the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of not giving the state government the right of way for the construction of the Red light rail.

“Lagos was not with the Federal Government at that time so the PDP government never gave Lagos the right of way for the red line now which is from Oyingbo, Ebute Metta all the way to Agbado which was where we all grew up, that rail corridor,” he said.

“When I was in BRF’s government, we never actually started red line then. It was the blue line that we started in 2010. If we step back then, you remember we have always had that rail corridor.

“So the Federal Government never gave us that opportunity to be able to do the red line then. So it is just now that we are doing the red line.”

“Once we are able to get the rail movement, the only thing that will probably remain will ensure that civilisation, security components are all proper and we have certified all of the security safety issues that are required.”

He also spoke on water transportation in the nation’s commercial capital, noting that his administration has targeted a daily movement of 70,000 passengers.

Sanwo-Olu’s remarks come three days after he flagged off the ‘red line’ rail project which, when completed, has the capacity to commute at least one million persons daily.

During the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction, the governor explained that the 37-km Rail Mass Transit will traverse from Agbado to Marina, noting that it would become operational by the last quarter of 2022.

“Since efficient transportation is the backbone of any economy, we are happy to be committing this investment in our transport infrastructure, so that our people can meet their daily targets and aspirations,” the governor said during the event held at the proposed site of the Ikeja Train Station.

“This all-important transport project we are all gathered to witness today represents a major step in this direction.”