Lagos, February 29 (Xinhua) -- The first phase of the Lagos light rail red line project, which was built by Chinese enterprises and adopted Chinese standards, was opened to traffic in Lagos, Nigeria on February 29, and the signing ceremony of the second phase of the red line project was held at the same time.
In his speech, Tinubu said that this day is a day to record the history of infrastructure construction in Nigeria, especially Lagos, which is realizing its dream of becoming a big city. He said that in order to lift more Nigerians out of poverty, there is a need to build a modern transport system, and "Nigeria must be able to have a variety of transport options that are safe, efficient and economical".
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun told Xinhua News Agency that the Nigerian people have a lot of expectations for infrastructure construction, and the construction of the Lagos light rail reflects China's concept and shows that the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative has been responded to by more African people. We are confident that we can help Nigeria industrialize and modernize its infrastructure.
Yan Yuqing, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Lagos, said that the Lagos Light Rail can alleviate the travel difficulties for local people, and is another representative project to promote people-to-people ties between China and Nepal.
The Lagos Light Rail Red Line is the second light rail project undertaken by China Civil Engineering Group in Lagos after the Light Rail Blue Line, which started in April 2021 with a total length of about 265 km. According to reports, the Lagos Light Rail Red Line Station intersects with the existing local bus terminal and Rai Railway Station, providing a safe and convenient way for local people to travel, which will effectively alleviate the traffic pressure in the central city of Lagos.