Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has hinged the rapid development in Lagos State to its robust policy of consistency and unbroken governance progression.
The governor said Lagos remains an ideal model for other states in the country.
He spoke at the commissioning of the fourth flyover constructed along the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line corridor, signifying the near completion of the 37-kilometre rail network connecting Lagos and Ogun States.
Ikeja Flyover – the largest overpass component of the Red Line project – was inaugurated by AbdulRazaq, who is the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on the invitation of his Lagos counterpart.
The project, undertaken by Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), is one of the T-shape overpasses planned along 10 level crossings along the rail alignment to eliminate pedestrian and vehicular interference on the tracks. The flyovers significantly reduce the risk of accidents and collisions between trains and vehicles.
AbdulRazaq described the project as “another signature achievement”, noting that the project alluded to the saying that “development is a process, and not a destination”.
The NGF chairman said the delivery of rail infrastructure by the Sanwo-Olu administration had added another crest of honour to the legacy of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, whose administration in Lagos created LAMATA to drive the state’s transport vision.
He said, “Lagos has been a beneficiary of bold and progressive vision built around people’s welfare. Particularly worthy of note is policy consistency and progression in governance. Successive administrations in Lagos have built on one another’s successes and projects that strengthen the state’s economic growth.’’
Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had said the completion of ancillary infrastructure of the Red Line was precursor to the commencement of passenger operations of the metro line, which will be commissioned by President Tinubu in the first quarter of next year.
The delivery of the overpass bridges, the governor said, indicated his government’s commitment to safety of Lagosians, pointing out that the bridges had permanently resolved fatal accidents occasioned by collisions at railway crossings.
In her address, LAMATA managing director, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, said the Ikeja Overpass, which has a length of 620 metres, was designed to maximise the efficiency of Red Line and NRC train schedules by minimising delays associated with level crossings.
