With the current state of the decaying multimillion naira Lagos-Badagry rail infrastructure put in place by the former governor Babatunde Raji Fashola administration and abandoned by the immediate past governor Akinwunmi Ambode, a visit along the corridor shows that, it will cost the present government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu enormous resources to fix back the the massive project.
Since the abandonment of the project, completed rail laying sections of the corridor especially between the Alaba-Suru abd Mile 2 bus stops have become a safe place for destitutes and miscreants.
During a visit to the project sites before their election into office as executive governor and deputy governor respectively, both Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Obafemi Hamzat his deputy had assured that the project will be completed on record time to facilitate tade and commerce between Nigeria and her West African neighbours.
From statistical figures obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), about 260, 000 people come into Lagos state daily, while only about 20-25 percent of this figure return to their original places of migration.
This huge migration influx to the city, the deputy governor said, is overwhelming the existing infrastructure and facilities, which makes it imperative and urgent need to be inventive in tackling the infrastructural deficit in the state.
According to Hamzat, “Specifically, the ongoing 60-kilometre Lagos-Badagry Expressway project being executed by the state government must be completed as early as possible. The project has two major intermodal transport schemes namely; the Lagos-Badagry Highway and the Light Rail Mass Transit with their accompanying infrastructure- 10 lanes superhighway taking off from Eric Moore interchange and traverses westward through Orile Iganmu, Alaba Oro, Mile 2, Festac, Agboju, Iyana-Iba, Okokomaiko, Iyana-Era, Ijanikin, Agbara, Ibereko and terminated at Badagry.
When completed, the goal is to connect Lagos with the ECOWAS countries. The initiative would no doubt, enhances the commercial and other business activities between the affected neighbouring countries and facilitating regional commercial and trading activities.
MIKE OCHONMA
