Successful Launch of Lagos Red Line Rail Project Marks High-Quality "Belt and Road" Cooperation

On February 29, 2024, a train departs from the Ikeja Station of the Lagos Light Rail Red Line. (Provided by China Construction)

LAGOS - On February 29, 2024, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun attended the inauguration ceremony of Phase I of the Lagos Red Line Rail project and witnessed the signing of the agreement for Phase II. About 500 people, including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Federal Minister of Transportation Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali, relevant officials from Nigerian government departments, Consul General of China in Lagos Yan Yuqing, and Liu Weimin, Chairman of China Civil Engineering, the project contractor, were present at the ceremony.

President Bola Tinubu (Second from left) of Nigeria inaugurates Phase I of the Lagos Red Line Rail project on February 29, 2024. (Provided by China Construction)

This project is the second light rail line undertaken by CCECC in Lagos following the Blue Line. Starting from the Oyingbo Station and ending at the Agbado Station, the route is approximately 26.5 kilometers long, with 2 kilometers of new construction, 8 stations along the route, and 4 public overpasses, all built with Chinese technical standards.

Photo taken on February 29, 2024, shows a Lagos Red Line train. (Provided by China Construction)

President Tinubu stated that the Nigerian government is gradually fulfilling its commitment to developing and improving national infrastructure. The Red Line Rail is another significant transportation and livelihood project in Nigeria following the Blue Line Rail, aimed at further improving intra-city transportation in Lagos. The Red Line Rail will serve as a cornerstone in Lagos' endeavor to become a globally outstanding city.

Ambassador Cui congratulated the official launch of Phase I of the Red Line Rail. He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian side for their consistent trust in Chinese enterprises, emphasizing that the success of the Red Line light rail project is inseparable from the excellent leadership of the Nigerian government. China and Nigeria have jointly realized a series of major projects such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Lagos-Ibadan Railway, and the Lagos International Airport Terminal. “The Red Line light rail project is another benchmark project of pragmatic cooperation between China and Nigeria, " Ambassador Cui said. "We are proud to have personally witnessed its completion and inauguration.”

Since the start of the project, the project team has carefully planned, scientifically organized, adapted to local conditions, and taken multiple measures to advance progress, improve quality, and increase efficiency. The opening of the Lagos Red Line Rail is not only a long-awaited event for the people of Lagos, but also a new milestone in friendly cooperation between China and Nigeria and the high-quality construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative.