President Buhari on Thursday inaugurated the standard gauge Lagos-Ibadan rail line with a promise to continue the transformation of the nation’s railway system and make it a preferred choice mode of transportation for passengers and freight.

He spoke at the Mobolaji Johnson Railway Station, Ebute Metta, Lagos, venue of the new rail line inauguration.

The 157-kilometre rail line runs from Apapa-Wharf in Lagos through Ogun State and terminates in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

The President said the completion of the rail line project was “another milestone in the drive of this administration to revitalise the railway system and establish it as a choice mode of transportation for both passengers and freight.”

He said his administration would continue to prioritise the railway system as a transportation backbone that could transform industrial and economic activity in the country.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Femi Adesina, reported the President as speaking on the benefits of the Lagos-Ibadan corridor as well as other ongoing railway projects across the country.

He said, “This vital line establishes an end-to-end logistic supply chain in railway transport within its short corridor, Lagos-Ibadan, as goods to the hinterland would now be transported by rail directly from the Apapa port quayside straight to the inland container depot located in Ibadan from where it can be distributed to other parts of the country.

“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 double line standard gauge rail would not just terminate in Kano but link Maradi in Niger Republic and the Nigerian ports, thus making the ports preferred choice by country’s neighbour for import and export.

Buhari 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 connection through rail would position Nigerian ports as the choice for import and export business of the people of landlocked Niger Republic.

“This would be beneficial to the economy through employment from new business opportunities and wealth creation.’’

The President expressed delight that his directive to the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Finance on reaching financial agreements with appropriate co-financiers to partner with the Federal Government for the development of the Ibadan – Kano railway was yielding results.

He noted that Ibadan-Kano project would have a connection to the Tin Can Island port as well as the West-East Coastal rail line from Lagos to Calabar linking Onitsha, Benin, Warri, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Aba and Uyo.

‘‘From the beginning of this administration, railway infrastructure development has been given the priority it deserves and various milestones have been reached, right from when the Abuja – Kaduna railway was flagged-off for commercial operation in 2016 to this Lagos – Ibadan railway project being commissioned today for full commercial operation,” he said.

He commended the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and his “wonderful team in the ministry” for his drive and tenacity in achieving the milestone.

Earlier in his address, Amaechi had expressed profound gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for summoning the courage to take the loan from China Exim Bank to execute the rail project.

He also thanked the Chinese government for the loan while expressing hope that the Asian country would also approve the loan for the Ibadan-Kano axis, stressing that the Buhari administration planned to start and complete the project before the end of its tenure.

He said, “We are grateful that the Chinese government through the China Exim Bank was able to give us the loan at a concessionary rate to construct from the seaport down to Ibadan. We hope that we get money to be able to construct from Ibadan to Kano so that we can complete the track and make sure that business takes place.”

The minister expressed satisfaction with the cooperation enjoyed from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo state governments, stressing that in Ogun alone, over 1,000 houses were demolished in the course of the rail line construction.

Ibrahim Alhassan Musa, the Chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, in his remarks, recalled that the infrastructure development project had faced many challenges in the course of its execution and delivery.

He noted that without the full support and steadfast with encouragement of  President Buhari, the project would not have been completed.

He also expressed thanks to the Nigerian Ports Authority, NNPC, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, LAMATA, Lagos Water Corporation, Oil Serve, whose cooperation facilitated the timely completion of the project.

The highpoint of the event was that the President Buhari took a train ride from Ebute Metta station to Energy Nature Light (ENL), Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos.

He was joined by the Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Governors of Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun and the deputy governor of Ondo, the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of State Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, other ministers as well as some government officials.