A major step to giving Nigerians a modernised railway was taken yesterday when Acting President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the construction of the Segment II of the Lagos-Ibadan Rail Project at the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Compound in Ebute Metta, Lagos.
It will be extended to the Lagos Ports Complex in Apapa to facilitate movement of goods.
Prof. Osinbajo said the Federal Government was committed to delivering a fast and efficient rail service system between Lagos and Ibadan with the completion of the project next December.
He spoke of government’s determination to revive the railway culture.
The Federal Government awarded the project to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) at the cost of $1.5 billion (about N458 billion).
Governors Akinwunmmi Ambode (Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi, Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akiolu, All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, Deputy Chairman Segun Oni, Senators Gbenga Ashafa and Olusola Adeyeye, Aminu Isa, among others witnessed the event.
He said the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation had feasibility studies on 13 new train routes to connect state capitals in accordance with the vision of the government.
Describing the event as historic, Osinbajo said the project would create jobs, stimulate the expansion of agro-allied industries and boost economic activities in towns along the corridor.
When fully on stream, the speed train, Osinbajo added, would carry about one million passengers per annum, while freight traffic along the route is also expected to hit two million metric tonnes cargoes per annum.
“This ground breaking event, which signals the first formal day of construction work on the project, signals the determination of the government to modernise the railway system.
“It also underscores the activation of the campaign promises of President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver to Nigerians world class rail project, that will not only be safe and convenient, but reliable and affordable.”
The Acting President said the project would be instrumental to the government’s march towards economic recovery and its road plans.
He said government had provided adequate marching funds for the smooth continuation of the project in the 2016 and the 2017 budgets.
He listed the reduction of freight cost, increase in the lifespan of roads, enhancement in the export potentials of the nation’s agro-allied products, among the many advantages of the speed trains.
He praised the commitment of the China-Exim Bank, the Chinese government, the Federal Ministry of Finance and Transportation for their dogged commitment on delivering on the administration’s agenda to bequeath a new train service deal for Nigerians.
Amaechi described the project as a step in the right direction to “optimise the Federal Government’s change agenda in the transportation sector.
He said contrary to old set pattern, the transportation sector is an economic index for growth and development.
The minister explained that the project involved the construction of anxillary facilities among which is the construction of eight railway stations along the corridor at Apapa, Ebute-Metta, with intermediate stations at Agege, Kajola, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Omi-Adio, a passing station at Olodo while the Ibadan station will be an intermediate station with technical operation.
The station at Kajola in Ogun State, Amaechi added, would be a locomotive workshop, rolling stock depot and marshalling yard.
Amaechi said traffic volume forecast is that the project would handle over 3.2 million tons of goods/cargoes per annum in its first year of operation, while passenger services can take 16 pairs of passenger trains.
“This train service will in the near future be extended from Ibadan to Ilorin, Minna, Kaduna and Kano and a link to the Federal Capital via Kaduna.
The minister said the project captured the acquisition of land for joint estate development partnership as well as private sector logistic park and goods platform in order to “generate the revenue for the sustenance of the rail line and in the actual repayment of the loan.”
He allayed the fears that the project could be abandoned by the government as it did in 2006, saying: “On this very one, work will not only start, but it will be completed in record time.”
Ambode described the project as a new dawn in the transportation architecture of Nigeria, adding that the speed train which is a fast and convenient means of transportation would foster regional integration and growth.
The governor, who assured that work would soon begin on its Red Line, said once all these come on stream, government would spend less on road repairs while billions of hours lost to traffic as a result of traffic snarl due to over-concentration on the roads would be a thing of the past.
CCECC President Zhao Dianlong thanked the government for believing in the firm to deliver a world class train service.
According to him, the work would create 4,000 direct jobs and increase the value in building/engineering sector among others.
Dianlong said the CCECC work portfolio raked in $188.4billion last year, with total profit put at $99.8 billion.
He said the CCECC, established in 1979, is among the top 250 global Civil Engineering Companies and had been delivering world class projects since it entered the Nigerian market 35 years ago.
Oba Akiolu urged the company to employ qualified Nigerians as senior managers and ensure that only qualified hands work in order to avoid handing over to Nigerians a bad job.
Ashafa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, described the project as a fulfilment of the promises of the APC.
“One major aspect of this project is generation of employment. At least 250,000 jobs will be created through this project.
“Many people will be employed directly for the construction of the railway project.
“The project will bring a positive change to the economy of the people and traders will also benefit in the development,”Ashafa said.
Tag: Lagos-Ibadan
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Lagos-Ibadan’s N458b speed rail project takes off
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Julius Berger steps up work on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the contractor handling Section One of the reconstruction of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway project, has begun the installation of expansion joints on the popular “Long Bridge”.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents, who took a trip on Section One yesterday, observed that work was ongoing on the Lagos bound carriageway of the Long Bridge.
Section One spans from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Interchange and handled by Julius Berger.
Section Two, which spans the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan, is being handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC).
Workmen were working on the bridge, with other repairs going on simultaneously on various portions of the highway.
The highway has been completed to the final layers on both carriageways between the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Redemption Camp and the Sagamu Interchange.
The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing engineer supervising the contract, Kayode Ibrahim, told NAN that expansion joints on the Long Bridge were being fitted.
Ibrahim explained that special construction materials were being used in the reserved spaces called “Thorma Joints,” which are where the expansion joints are being installed.
He, however, declined comments on when the installation would be completed, insisting that Julius Berger would complete the work “very soon”.
The engineer explained that Julius Berger was working on the road’s shoulders (edges) between Wawa and Ibafo, to move traffic to the Ibadan-bound carriageway.
He said this was to enable total and effective reconstruction of the Lagos-bound carriageway.
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Lagos -Ibadan, Ilorin-Kano rail lines to cost govt $7.6b
Amaechi bemoans National Assembly’s inaction on loan
THE Federal Government plans to spend $6.1 billion on the construction of Ibadan-Ilorin-Minna-Kano standard gauge lines of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
The Lagos-Ibadan line which will cost $1.5 billion, will be funded with a Chinese loan.
Transportation Minister Chuibuke Amaechi said this in Ilorin at a town hall meeting for Northcentral states.
Amaechi added that the failure of the National Assembly to approve the Federal Government’s borrowing plan from China was holding the government back.
He urged the people to prevail on the National Assembly to approve the loan.
He said the loan, when accessed, would enable the Federal Government to embark on the revitalisation of rail projects to create more jobs for Nigerians.
Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed cautioned Nigerians, who were making statements that could cause religious disharmony.
Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole said the Federal Government had secured a loan of $500 million to fund revival of Basic Health Institutions, of which he said N420 million were disbursed to each state in 2015 to fund the project.
Under the scheme, which would provide 1,000 basic health centres as already captured in the budget, the minister said a model health centre is being sited in one each of the three senatorial districts in the states.
“We are going round this year to find out what they have done with this money. If they have done well, we will give them a handshake and give them more money and if they have not done anything, they will have to pay back,” he said.
Adewole said the revitalisation of the health centres were necessary to relief teaching hospitals from being over-stretched with cases that ordinarily would have been attended to at the primary health level.
He said the Federal Government was equipping the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) to be a regional centre for treatment of cancer cases.
The minister called for synergy between the states and Federal Government to fix infrastructure.
Other ministers, who gave their stewardships were those of Budget and
National Planning (Zainab Ahmed), Water (Sulyman Adamu), State for Mining and Steel (Abubakar Bawa Bwauari) and Trade and Investment (Ayishat Abubakar). -
Amaechi: China’s $1.5b loan for Lagos-Ibadan rail ready
The Federal Government yesterday said it had secured $1.5 billion from the China Exim Bank to begin work on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project.
Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi said this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Land Transport, chaired by Gbenga Ashafa, to give a status report of the 2016 budget and also present the 2017 budget.
Amaechi said the foundation of the Lagos-Ibadan Segment Two of the Lagos- Kano rail project would be laid before March 31.
He said the target of the Federal Government is to begin work from Apapa sea port to Ogun and then to Ibadan.
Amaechi said: “In the first quarter of 2017, the foundation of the Lagos-Ibadan Segment Two of the Lagos- Kano rail project will be laid.
“The implication here is that we will start the Lagos-Ibadan rail line before March 31.
“Our target is to begin from Apapa sea port down to Ogun and then to Ibadan.
“The counterpart fund is ready but don’t forget that we are borrowing from China. The China Exim Bank is processing it.
“Our 15 per cent is ready. The bank has released $1.5 billion.
“It is also envisaged that Segment Three of the Lagos –Kano rail project, which is Kano-Kaduna stretch, as well as the first phase of the coastal railway line (Lagos-Calabar) beginning from Calabar to Port Harcourt with extension to Onne Deep sea port will begin after the conclusion of the negotiation of a financing loan agreement.”
He called on the National Assembly to approve the government’s plan to borrow $30 billion.
The minister said the money to finance some of the rail projects are contained in the $30 billion loan request the government is seeking the National Assembly’s approval for.
According to him, Nigeria cannot sign any loan agreement with China on rail projects without the approval of the National Assembly.
Amaechi said all rail projectsnot completed in last year’s budget have been included in the 2017 budget.
“All these ongoing rail projects not completed last year have been reintroduced into the 2017 budget.
“The ministry is in the process of procuring additional locomotives and coaches to meet the rising demand of passenger traffic of the Abuja (Idu)-Kaduna (Rigasa) rail line,” he added.
Ashafa said the committee would work with the minister to consolidate on the achievements and performances recorded last year. -
Section one of Lagos-Ibadan expressway ‘almost ready’
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Godwin Eke, has said the rehabilitation of section one of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has reached 40 per cent completion. Section one of the road spans from Lagos to Sagamu interchange and is being handled by Julius Berger, while section two spans from Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan, and is handled by Reynolds Construction Company. Eke made the revelation while on an inspection tour of the road during the festive period.
“This action to monitor the flow of traffic was necessitated by the insistence of the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who insisted that since there is some improvements on the road, there is a need to monitor and caution motorists who might be tempted to over speed, because there is usually temptation to over speed when driving on a smooth road like this,” he said.
In a similar vein, the Federal Roads Safety Corps Unit Commander, Ogunmakin, Ogun State, Mr David Ogunjana, expressed worry at the speed of vehicles on the reconstructed portion of the highway. While he appreciated the Federal Government for its efforts on the road, especially for being free of obstruction and low crashes compared to previous times, he advised road users to apply caution on their speed now that the road is smooth and free. “No obstruction, no gridlock, the only thing we are afraid of is over speeding; motorists should use speed limiting devices to monitor their speed,” he said.
Motorists who plied the road during the yuletide also expressed satisfaction with the smoothness of the road and the free flow of traffic. For instance, a lawyer, who identified himself as Mr Femi Adeyemo, claimed to have been plying the road since 1980, praised the current facelift. He likened it to the “early years” of the road. He said though initially when construction work started, it was very difficult travelling on the road, but there has been a lot of improvement, particularly on the Lagos axis of the road.
A truck driver, Mr Kola Adeyemi, also attested to the state of the road. “The road is okay now compared to a few months ago, it is smooth and no traffic, we thank government for the work,” he said.
Another commercial bus driver who plies the Lagos-Ibadan route, Mr Musiliu Adewale, commended the free flow of traffic, but appealed for more warning signs to avoid accidents. “Our movement is free now; before, we spend more than two hours from Berger (Lagos) to Sagamu Interchange, but now it is just about 30 minutes,” he said.Adewale appealed for increased surveillance by traffic management agencies to regulate speed on the highway.
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Torment on Lagos -Ibadan expressway
Of late, plying the Lagos -Ibadan expressway has become a torment for commuters, especially those residing along the Mowe-Ibafo axis of Ogun State. It is rather sad that a journey that should ordinarily not take more than 15 -20 minutes now takes over four hours and even more. Recently, a fatal road accident involving multiple vehicles occurred on the road, claiming three lives. This unfortunate incident caused a serious gridlock that almost brought the whole of Lagos to a standstill.
Being a major road that links Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria to other parts of the country, it is of course one of the busiest roads in the country. The situation of the road becomes even more complex with the growing population of residential communities along the Mowe-Ibafo axis. This greatly increases vehicular movement along the route.
However, ongoing repairs on some critical sections of the road which began about six months ago have enormously compounded the situation. It is disconcerting that the repairs of a major exit route with economic relevance and implication is taking so long. Julius Berger Plc which handles the repairs has been foot-dragging on the job to the consternation of many. Initially, when the construction firm began the work, it didn’t give commuters sufficient reason for optimism, considering its lackadaisical approach. Though, the firm has since relatively braced up, but the agonies and frustrations of commuters along the road linger on.
As a result of on-going construction work which necessitated the narrowing of a long section of the road, especially the popular Long Bridge, gridlock lingering into the dead of the night has become a usual episode. Many residents are now compelled by the traffic situation to sleep outside their homes in order to avoid the terrible gridlock. The sorry sight of school pupils trekking hazardously home, sometimes through the scorching Lagos sun due to shortage of public transport since they were all trapped in traffic while transport fares tripled, would make even a heart of stone to melt.
Aside the niggling gridlock on the road and resultant stress, security of lives has also become a serious concern. Since the road has been narrowed and traffic now move at snail speed, that is if it is even if it moves at all, robbers and other evil minded people now daily unleash terror on commuters along the route. In the last few weeks there have been numerous cases of daring gangsterism on the road in which commuters lose several valuables such as handsets, wrist watches, money, laptops among others. One of such incidences that is still very difficult for one to hurriedly forget involved a middle-aged woman who was thrown down the bridge by these dare devil hoodlums. The fear of hoodlums along the route has now become the beginning of wisdom. To worsen things, security personnel rarely patrol the road, as bad as things stand.
The manpower lost to the traffic jam per hour, per day and per week is unquantifiable and irrecoverable as time and resources are daily lost to the traffic. It has been alleged that there are lots of intrigues behind government contracts and construction. Or how does one explain a construction work that has affected millions of lives and little seems to be achieved in terms of concrete results? The snail pace with which the company is working is not in tandem with the realities of the 21st century where things are done with civility and human considerations.
Sadly, Julius Berger plc doesn’t seem to care a hoot about the condition of commuters and residents along the route. There are even unconfirmed reports that in spite of the much anticipated Yuletide season traffic rush along the route, Julius Berger’s staff working on the road would soon embark on their annual end of year vacation. If this were to be true, it only goes to show that our nation has become a banana republic where anything goes!
Recently, there was a colossal road collapse in one of the Asian countries aired on CNN, where a major part of an express way collapsed leaving a gaping hole that claimed almost the entire road. Interestingly it was fixed within three hours and opened for people to traverse without any problem. That is how things are done in developed and progressive societies. There is a consciousness of time and conservation of energy and resources. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in science and technology, we must move at the same pace with the developed world if we want to discard the status of a third world country. It is quite unfortunate that such a repair work could take well over six months to complete. And no one is even sure of how long the work is going to take. Initially, the federal government said work would end by last November. This, of course, has turned a mirage.
It is time for the federal government to pay close attention to the activities of the company handling the project as it is taking rather too long for its completion. More importantly, there is need for quality control as one side of the bridge that is recently completed is already developing potholes; this is between Wawa ends of the Long Bridge while coming to Lagos. It is important that the Federal Ministry of Works steps in right now to ensure proper assessment of the job so that it won’t be a case of a shoddy job; a situation where Nigerians will be left to suffer the same cycle of hardship on the road all over again.
Perhaps, more importantly, it becomes imperative to have alternative routes connecting other parts of the country to Lagos. The fact that the nation cannot boast of other such routes is, indeed, the shame of a nation. Also, special consideration should be given to the grading and tarring of access roads on both sides of the Long Bridge as this will also a long way in reducing stress on the road.
If, indeed, we are concerned about human lives as a people, now is the time for the federal government to pay better attention to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and other such critical roads across the nation.
- Mrs. Aruya wrote in from Arepo, Ogun State.
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Repairs: FRSC urges motorists plying Lagos-Ibadan to use other routes
The Federal Road Safety Commission has advised motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to seek alternative routes due to ongoing repairs on the route.
Mr Bisi Kazeem, its Head of Media and Strategy, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
“In view of this, motorists could take these alternative routes: motorists from Benin could link Lagos through Ijebuode -Epe -Lekki or Ijebuode -Ikorodu.
“Those from Ibadan -Lagos could use Odo- Ona-Apata-Omi Adio-Abeokuta -Itori -Ifo-Sango Ota, Sagamu -Papa Lanto- Ifo- Sango Ota and Sagamu -Ofada- Mowe.
“Traffic from Lagos -Benin could use Epe or Ikorodu axis to link Ijebu- Ode. Traffic from Lagos -Ibadan axis could use Sango Ota- Ifo- Abeokuta –Ibadan,’’ he said.
Kazeem said that ambulances, motorcycles, patrol vehicles and tow trucks had been adequately deployed with enough personnel to control traffic.
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Lagos-Ibadan bridge’s gridlock ends Nov ending, says contractor
TRAVELLERS and motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan expressway must brace for more hours of harrowing gridlock at the Ogun State stretch of the long bridge as lasting solutions to the nightmare may not come soon.
Contractor handling the rehabilitation, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, hinted yesterday that the five-kilometre bridge, where major work is being carried out, might not be completed earlier than November ending.
Its Divisional Manager (West), Wolfgang Loesser, spoke yesterday while fielding questions from reporters during a news conference organised by Ogun State to inform Nigerians about steps being taken by Governor Ibikunle Amosun to ease the situation.
Loesser, who led the team of Julius Berger’s construction firm to the meeting with the government, in Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office, noted that the ongoing work on the bridge was complex and required diligence.
“First is the stage, where we are now, before we move to the other side coming from Lagos. So, that work will take at least until the end of November.
“But I also want to point out that there are many bottlenecks on the road. For example, the Ogun River Base. So, we are likely to experience the same problem there, where we will have several stages of traffic management.
“We can only do it if everybody is disciplined and care to drive safely within the construction area,” he said.
Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Lekan Adegbite assured road users that the government would create earth road by the sides to serve as alternative roads and thus, ease traffic often experienced on the bridge.
Adegbite, who ascribed the cause of the gridlock in that area to drivers’ impatience and indiscipline, said the government might wield the big stick on erring motorists that drive against traffic.
According to him, miscreants appeared to have taken advantage of the traffic build up to attack motorists and travelers and dispossessing them of valuables.
The commissioner, however, assured that the government would deploy more law enforcement agents, and operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) and the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) to the area.
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Seven die, nine injured in Lagos- Ibadan expressway accident
Multiple vehicles accident at the Ajebo – Gilga(Fidiwo – Ogun State) KM 72 stretch of the Lagos – Ibadan expressway has left seven persons dead including a child, and nine others injured.
The accident which involved a truck and a Mazda bus, caused a lot of traffic gridlock.
In a text message to The Nation by the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), Ogun State Command, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, stated that the accident was caused by “wrong overtaken.”
He gave the number of people involved as 20 (11 males, seven females and two children) with seven persons killed while nine persons were injured.
“Report of road traffic crash at Ogunmakin by 1200hrs (on Sunday) onLagos-Ibadan route at Fidiwo, km 72. Vehicles involved are Mazda bus and Truck (name unknown).
“Number of people involved 20 Adults (11males, seven females, and two male Children. Number of people Injured: nine adults (six males and three females while the number Killed are seven adults (four males, two females and a male child). Child.
“The nature of accident is fatal while the cause of accident is wrongfull overtaken. The injured victims were taking to OOUTH while the dead were taken to Ipara mortuary.
“Drivers are advised to be patient and avoid overtaken at construction sites where traffic is diverted,” Adetunji stated. -
FRSC to ensure safety compliance on Lagos-Ibadan expressway
As construction work resumeS on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has promised to ensure that safety measures are observed on sites.
He spoke at a joint meeting with the representatives of the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing and the two construction companies handling the road project, Julius Berger PLC and RCC.
According to Bisi Kazeem, Head Media Relations and Strategy, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, Oyeyemi, who was represented at the meeting by the Assistant Corps Marshal in charge of Policy, Research and Statistics, Dr. Kayode Olagunju, expressed satisfaction with the commitment made by the construction companies to observe safety standards in the construction areas.
He commended the Minister of Works, Power and Housing for directing the construction companies to strictly adhere to safety standards, promising that FRSC in discharging its responsibilities would continue to collaborate with the Ministry to ensure that safety measures are taken in the construction areas.
The Corps Marshal identified a number of challenges that could undermine safety in the areas. These, he said include inadequate signage at the construction sites, illegal openings and u-turns at dangerous locations and deep potholes as well as failed portions. Others, he said are failed hard shoulders, flooding, crocodile cracks and improper and dangerous diversions as well as inadequate lighting around the sites which could create hazards at night.
Oyeyemi urged the two construction companies to provide standard and appropriate road signs in all the construction sites and ensure that uniform and adequate signage are provided to guide the motorists. He gave assurances that FRSC will embark on joint field assessment patrol with the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing and representatives of the two construction companies to provide information on the location of the identified illegal openings for immediate filling and closure to traffic.