· Lagos hands over three blocks of new staff quarters to NRC
By Demi Adeniyi
With six rail lines, one monorail, 14 Bus Rapid transit corridor and over 20 water routes in the offing, Lagos will become foreign direct investment paradise, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Managing Director, Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo has said.
Speaking at the handing over of three blocks of flats to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr. Akinajo said the governor’s plan is to use an integrated transportation system to drive the state’s growth, by investing heavily in public transportation.
She said: “Our strategic transport master plan provides for six rail lines and one monorail, 14 BRT routes and over 20 water routes. I can assure Lagosians that before long, one form of transport mode will get to your area to cater to your mobility needs and drive the growth of Lagos.”
The Lagos State Government, as part of the negotiation for co-sharing the NRC’s rail track and building the infrastructure for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line rail project, had acquired the Corporation’s staff quarters at Ikeja where the Ikeja train station is currently being built with a promise to replace the staff quarters at another location close to their station.
The new staff quarters made up of three blocks containing 16 units of two-bedroom flats, and four units of one-bedroom flats are located on Shiaba Street around the Babatunde Raji Fashola Train station at Agege.
She explained that the handing over of the building was indicative of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to complete the Blue and Red line rail projects by year end and commence commercial operations within the first quarter of 2023.
“With this handover of the buildings, it is very clear that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is committed to leaving Lagosians with a transport legacy that generations yet unborn will come to appreciate. Transportation is very essential to our civilisation.
“A good integrated transportation system gives citizens the transport options for their mobility. This is what this administration is committed to bequeathing to Lagosians,” Engr. Akinajo added
She appealed to Lagosians to own the rail projects and ensure that the infrastructure is protected.
She thanked the Federal Ministry of Transport and the NRC for their cooperation to see the Red line gradually inching to completion.
Managing Director of NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, thanked the Lagos State Government for keeping its promise to rebuild the acquired staff quarters at another location close to NRC’s facility, saying “we thank the Lagos State Government for this privilege, for letting us (NRC) and LAMATA leave this legacy.”
He described LAMATA and NRC as one family, stating “we pursue the same goal, which is to make transportation easy and make commerce within the environs boom.”
He recalled his earlier fears on the challenge that may come up with the national rail and the subnational government rail cohabiting on the same track but said with improved signaling system, “we agreed to share the tracks.”
Engr. Okhiria assured the Lagos State Government of its continued cooperation and warned allottees not to sublet any part of the building or deface the aesthetics of the environment.
