Korede Abdullah 
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos rail master plan has been expanded from six to 11 rail lines and one monorail as the Lagos State Government signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to establish a Railway Training Centre that will develop skilled manpower for the state’s growing rail network.
The agreement, signed on Monday between the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and CCECC, forms part of efforts to improve mass transit, reduce traffic congestion and meet the transportation demands of Lagos’ rapidly growing population.
LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, says the revised Lagos rail master plan reflects the state’s long-term vision of building an integrated and efficient public transport system.
She says the expansion of the rail network makes it necessary to establish a globally certified railway training institution that will equip Nigerians with skills in railway operations, signalling, maintenance and customer service.
According to Akinajo, the state is determined to ensure that its rail infrastructure is operated and maintained predominantly by Nigerians, creating employment opportunities, reducing reliance on foreign expertise and strengthening the local economy.
She reveals that more than 400 personnel, including train operators, technical staff and customer service officers, have been trained since commercial operations began on the Blue and Red rail lines.
“The Blue Line currently has more than 90 per cent local staffing,” Akinajo says.
CCECC Vice President, Sun Xiangchun, describes the proposed Railway Training Centre as timely, saying it will combine classroom learning, practical training and simulation-based instruction to produce globally competitive railway professionals.
LAMATA says the centre forms part of its long-term strategy to develop indigenous technical capacity as Lagos builds what is expected to become one of Africa’s largest urban rail systems.
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Mirian Gom 
Oluwatobi Adu 