Ogun Harnessing Transportation Infrastructure with Lagos

Several transportation Infrastructure jointly initiated by Ogun and Lagos states, will ease commuting between the people of the two states, writes JAMES SOWOLE   

The world over, the importance of transportation infrastructure be it rail, air, water and road in an economy, cannot be over emphasised. And one of the yardsticks being used in measuring development of any government, is this infrastructure of moving people and goods from one place to another. When one enters any city, the transportation facilities, that leads to that city, is the first attraction, before assessing any other infrastructural facilities like water, electricity, housing and other amenities. For this reason, any serious government always pay attention to the development of this critical transportation infrastructure.

For Prince Dapo Abiodun Administration in Ogun State, a lot of attention is being paid to the transportation sector as the administration, in the last three years, had initiated and executed policies in the sector. In the area of road transport sector, the administration, had either reconstructed or constructed several kilometres of road in the three Senatorial districts of the state. While some of these roads, are what can be described as feeder roads within urban centres, others are roads that lead to industrial area of Agbara in Ogun West Senatorial District, those that lead to major towns and some that linked the state with neighbouring states, particularly, Lagos State.

With the development of transportation infrastructure, the bond between Ogun and Lagos states, was being strengthened for mutual benefits of the two states. In pursuance of the need to take advantage of the state’s proximity to Lagos, which is the largest economy in the country, the Dapo Abiodun’s Administration has completed the 14km Ijebu- Ode -Epe Expressway. Similarly, the administration, completed the reconstruction of the 42km Abeokuta-Sagamu Interchange, to fastrack commuting from the Ogun State capital to Lagos. These two roads, were part of the projects, inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, during his official visit to the state on January 13 ,2022.

In the same vein and barring any change due the unforseen circumstances, the Ogun State Cargo International Airport located at Ilisan Remo may be ready for flight take-off and landing by the end of 2022. The Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, who dropped the hint while conducting journalists on inspection of works at the airport under construction, said the runway, would be completed by the end of July 2022.

According to the commissioner, the size of the airport runway is 4 kilometers which makes it longer than the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos declaring that the works on the runway had reached 90 percent completion. Akinsanya said the airport when completed and inaugurated, fall into Category E Class status which will make it accessible to aircraft as big as B777 and Airbus 350 for landing easily.

The project when completed, according to the government, would lead to diversion of some cargo from Lagos Airport and would ease the movement of such cargo to hinterlands just as export of agricultural products, would be made possible and eased  The completion of the Cargo Airport, would also lead to springing up of many industries in the area. Expectedly when industries spring up, this will definitely increase the Internally Generated Revenue of the state as companies and workers that will be engaged in these industries, will pay their taxes to the state as it will be economically wise for them to live within the state.

Another very significant and direct project aiming at harnessing benefits of the cooperation between Ogun and Lagos states for mutual economic benefits, is the 31km Redline Rail Project that will connect the two states. Already, the two states, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on the project, which would run from Oyingbo in Lagos to Agbado area in Ogun State.

Speaking during the signing of MoU, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi, said the passenger train, would begin operations in the First Quarter of 2023. He added that the development was another achievement from the robust understanding and synergy between the governors of Lagos and Ogun States in taking advantage of their proximity to better their economies and the lives of their citizens.

Talabi noted that significant achievements had been made by the two states through the Lagos/Ogun Joint Commission in the areas of waterways and security, saying “this is yet another testament of more initiatives to be undertaken by the joint commission”.

The SSG said that “the two states have the understanding that what benefits one, benefits the other and what brings convenience to one will mean the same for the other due to their close proximity. Integration of the transport system between the two states is highly probable for the benefits of both states.” While pointing out that the transport system of any nation or state is critical to its civilization, Talabi affirmed that Ogun State is committed to taking advantage of the sector to improve the livelihood of commuters and citizens alike in Ogun and Lagos.

Also speaking after signing the MoU, the Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Dr. Frederick Oladeinde, explained that the redline rail project is 31km, with the first phase of 25km stretch from Oyingbo to Agbado already being constructed and would be completed by the end of 2022 while passenger operations will commence in the first quarter of 2023. Oladeinde added that a train station and depot, was being built in Ogun State, noting that the project will create a lot of employment opportunities and huge investment within the corridor for the states.

Also, the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Gbenga Dairo, hinted that the Ogun Government intends to latch on to the initiative to extend train services beyond Agbado to other parts of the state such as Ijoko, Kajola among others.

Dairo acknowledged the Lagos State Government’s initiative in investing massively in rail infrastructure, saying “the two states are already taking advantage of the significant investment of the Federal Government through the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) along the Lagos/Ibadan standard guage railway infrastructure to ensure transportation is effective and efficient to serve the economic needs of Lagos and Ogun as the commercial nerve and industrial hub of the nation respectively”.

Determined to address issues concerning a major transportation infrastructure that linked the state with Lagos State, Abiodun threatened that his government would take over the reconstruction of the 52.5km Abeokuta-Sango Ota-Lagos Expressway if the Federal Government failed to fix the road within two weeks.

Abiodun, who spoke after inspecting some bad portions of the road, said the action had become necessary after the state’s government, alongside Lagos state made frantic efforts several times to draw the attention of the Federal Government, through the office of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola to the bad shape of the road without any positive response.

The governor who expressed worry over the hardship motorists are being subjected to on the road, declared that his administration, would l not fold its arms and allow its citizenry to continue to suffer due to the negligence of the authority in charge of this road.

While appealing to the people of the state, particularly those living along the road to be patient, the governor said  he inspected  the road  to examine the level of infrastructural development in Ogun Central and Ogun West Senatorial Districts with a view to ascertaining the level of damages done to some of the major roads in the areas so as to  fashion out the best way towards their reconstruction.

He observed  that the road awarded to Julius Berger about 15 years ago had been abandoned making it impassable, saying that despite the various palliative being carried out on the road, some of the blue chip companies located along the road had failed to support the efforts of the government through Corporate Social Responsiblity (CSR).

For residents of any area, the most important thing is to make infrastructure available for them irrespective of which tier of government is to provide such facility. This is the reason the blame is always on the state governors when people are commuting on Abeokuta-Ifo-Sango-Lagos Expressway. Though the ever-busy road is a Federal Government Road, but its strategic location, always put pressure on both the Ogun and Lagos State governments due to the failed nature of many portions particularly in the Ogun State axis.

Fashola was quoted to have said that the road was being financed through the Sukuk fund, adding that Abiodun once told him of his administration’s intention to take over the road, but that he asked him where the fund for repairs would come from.

Addressing journalists on the state of Federal roads in the state, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tokunbo Talabi, said the Ogun State Government, was not quarrelling with the Federal Government contrary to the insinuation over Abiodun’s comments on the dilapidated Abeokuta -Sango Ota-Lagos Expressway.

Talabi, said the governor only expressed his concern on the suffering of the commuters on the road and the resolve to intervene.

He explained that it was clear that nobody can jump on the contracted road but the state, could not good arms and allow people to continue to suffer simply because the road belongs to the Federal Government.

According to him, what an average commuter wants is a motorable road wherever is located and irrespective of who takes responsibilities on the road.