President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday officially inaugurated the 157km double track Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge.
Buhari expressed happiness that the project which was greeted with pessimism is being inaugurated in the life time of the administration.
He expressed commitment to the ongoing massive infrastructural development across the country.
Buhari described the project as another milestone in the drive of his administration to revitalise the railway system and establish it as a choice mode of transportation for both passengers and freight.
This was disclosed in a statement signed on Thursday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
He said further that “in clear recognition of the challenges posed to our economic growth by absence of strong and effective infrastructure, we have in the rail sector, further to other ongoing railway infrastructure projects, embarked on the completion of the outstanding segment of the Lagos – Kano railway, which is Ibadan – Kano.”
The President said the Lagos – Kano railway project when completed will link the Kano – Maradi line at Kano and a rail link from the Nigeria southern ports of Lagos to Maradi in Niger Republic will be achieved.
The Lagos-Ibadan fast rail is a section of the Lagos-Kano project, with an extension to Apapa. It starts from the Lagos-Ibadan axis with nine stations, along the mainline, comprising Lagos, Agege, Agbado, Kajola Papalanto (Ogun), Abeokuta, Olodo, Omi Adio and Ibadan stations respectively.
The occasion was witnessed by a galaxy of very eminent personalities -they include Ministers of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, his Youths and Sport Development colleague, Sunday Dare, Minister of State for Transportation Gbemisola Saraki, and Ithe Speaker, House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila.
Others are the Chairman of Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti State Dr Kayode Fayemi, his colleagues from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Seyi Makinde and Dapo Abiodun.
Also include party chieftains led by the National Leader of the All Progressives Party Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and top government functionaries and eminent personalities among them Africa’s first Nobel Laureate Prof Woke Soyinka, captains of industries and members of the civil society.
Royal fathers led by the representatives of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Lake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo were also in attendance.
