The Lagos state government loses over N4 trillion annually to traffic congestion, according to reports.
This was made known on Thursday in a statement issued by presidential media aide Dada Olusegun.
“Reports out there say Lagos state loses over N4 trillion annually to traffic congestion as thousands of productive hours are lost in “go slow” every other day,” Olusegun wrote on X.
He issued this statement amid the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Lagos to commission the Red Rail Line of the Lagos Mass Rail Transit (LMRT) project in Ikeja.
Olusegun stated that the success of the Red rail line, like the Blue line, marks the power of vision, resilience, and continuity in government.
According to him, Tinubu formed Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in 2000 to come up with a template to solve the crisis of transportation in the state.
He added that Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), Waterway, and most importantly seven new rail lines were proposed by the agency with all designs put in place to serve as templates for successive governments.
While BRT lanes were built across Lagos state and commissioned in 2007 by the administration of former governor Raji Fashola, Olusegun said financing and bureaucratic hurdles continuously delayed the implementation of the railways plans.
“The intervention of former President Muhammadu Buhari was key as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu rounded up both the Blue and Red Rail lines under five years between 2019 and 2024,” he said.
“President Tinubu is back in Lagos to witness the harvest of the seed he sowed two decades ago.”
Meanwhile, the LMRT Red Line, a 37 km rail line integrating key bus terminals at Oyingbo, Yaba, Oshodi, Ikeja, and Iju, according to governor Sanwo-Olu is more than just a project.
Sanwo-Olu added that the LMRT Red Line is a generational leap for Lagos state and not just about improving the city’s mobility.
He said it is about reshaping the urban landscape and setting a new pace for development across Lagos.
By connecting critical points across the state, the governor said his administration is opening doors to opportunities, growth, and a sustainable future.
“This launch is a testament to what we can achieve when we dream big and work together,” Sanwo-Olu posted on X.
“The LMRT Red Line is a cornerstone in our journey to make Lagos a global model city for urban excellence.”
