Railway Transportation
in Lagos
Although the railway system of
transportation is not new to Lagos or
Nigeria as a whole, the neglect and decline
of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC)
led to its lack of popularity as a go-to
mode of commute. Efforts to revive the
NRC have been ongoing for years but
unfortunately, the only operational lines
currently are the Lagos to Kano and Port
Harcourt to Maiduguri lines. Consequently,
state governments in Lagos, Abuja, Rivers
and Cross River took up the responsibility
of developing their own metro systems.
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport
Authority (LAMATA) is the agency in
charge of implementing the Lagos urban
rail network, which is proposed to cover
seven (7) priority and high-density areas
within the Lagos Metropolis, and other
neighbouring states like Ogun and Oyo.
The Light Rail Mass transit along these
seven (7) lines will be integrated with
existing transport corridors such as
the Lagos BRT system and waterways
9
transport to ensure seamless movement
of people and goods across all channels. Conclusion
With the proposed lines connecting areas
like Marina to Lekki and Otta to Iddo, road
traffic congestion in Lagos is expected to
be a thing of the past. A fully functional
Light Rail System will offer individuals
the opportunity to travel long distances
within shorter times and in comfort, thus
significantly reducing the need to use
both private and informal public modes of
transportation. Not only will this improve
the standard of living in Lagos, it will also
reduce pollution due to less emissions
from fewer vehicles. The Addis Ababa Light Rail, which began
operating in 2015, has set the bar as
the first of its kind in Eastern and Sub-
Saharan Africa. It is representative of a
fully operational rapid transit system in
the Continent. While there is still more
to be done in Ethiopia’s capital in terms
of tram reach, capacity and comfort,
Addis Ababa’s example can be replicated
in cities all over, not just Lagos. The first
phase of the Abuja Light Rail system that
was commissioned in July 2018, is also a
step in the right direction for West African
cities.
Fully operational mobility systems at peak
capacity have the potential to provide state
governments with additional sources of
revenue in the form of congestion charges
for plying certain roads and increased
taxation on private vehicles purchased.
Essentially, putting a premium on the use
of road transport will encourage people
to use either the waterways, the BRTs or
the Light Rail System; and the additional
revenue generated can be applied to the
maintenance of these systems. European and American cities like London
and New York have shown with their
Light railway, underground and over-
ground trains and bus systems, that rural-
urban migration is not necessary to enjoy
the benefits of an urban society. With
adequate railway systems providing fast
and convenient access to urban areas,
commuters will no longer have to reside
in Africa’s cities to access their places of
work, school or businesses.
The Corvus | September 2019