When this present government was elected into power, Lagosians voted them on the premise that they would continue and complete the capital and infrastructural projects started by their predecessors. The most important of these projects was the Lagos light rail which was inaugurated in the year 2006. Its construction started fully in the year 2008 and we were promised the project would be completed by 2013 and expected to start operation in the first quarter of the year 2014. Four years have passed since 2014, and we are yet to have our functional light rail.  Approximately four years later, the rail line is not ready while it has further suffered another extension till the year 2022. If this new completion date is anything to go by, it means Lagos state government would have spent fourteen years to construct the 27km blue line and the 31km red line of the light rail project.

At several points, the Lagos state government has given reasons for why the rail project is not yet functional and while the construction/completion deadline has to be extended. This is especially frustrating, because the Lagos state government took a  loan of two hundred million dollars for this project. The state government has announced a new partnership with another company from France to handle the project and explained that as a result, it has to extend the completion deadline yet again, to 2022.

The inability of the state government to deliver this humongous project as at when due has placed a lot of pressure on Lagos roads while the traffic situation has worsened. It is important the Lagos state government as a matter of duty make it a point of priority to complete the light rail project before the stipulated 2022. The four year window period should not elapsed before it is put to work. Lagos state government should make it Possible.

tosin adesina