Transport in Lagos
Transport in Lagos currently consists of four modes: road, water, rail and air.
Roads
[edit]Lagos, as one of the most populous cities in Africa, has a vast network of roads connecting it internally and to other parts of Nigeria. The road infrastructure consists of federal, state, and local roads, some of which form part of international routes under the Trans-African Highway network.
Federal Highways
[edit]Federal highways in Lagos include:
- A1: This highway runs north from Lagos, forming part of the Trans-African Highway 8 (TAH 8), which connects Lagos to Mombasa in Kenya.
- A5: Extends northwards, connecting Lagos with major cities and towns.
- Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway: Spanning 81 kilometers, this road connects Ikeja in Lagos to Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
- Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: This major route connects Lagos to Ibadan in Oyo State. It is part of the Trans-African Highway 2 (TAH 2), also known as the Trans-Sahara Highway or the African Unity Road.
- Lagos-Badagry Expressway: Extends westward from Apapa Road in Lagos to the Benin border at Akraké. It forms part of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway (TAH 7), which links Lagos to Dakar in Senegal.
- Lekki–Epe Expressway: Stretches eastwards from Lagos through Lekki and Epe.
State Roads
[edit]State-managed roads include:
- Ikorodu-Epe Road: Runs east from Ikorodu to Epe, connecting with other highways leading to Ogun State.
- Itokin Road: Extends from Epe to nearby towns and provides an alternative route to Ogun State.
- Oshodi-Apapa Expressway: Links the port city of Apapa to the industrial areas and Lagos Mainland.
- Third Mainland Bridge: A vital link between Lagos Island and the Mainland, easing traffic congestion between these key areas.
Challenges
[edit]The road network in Lagos faces challenges, including:
- Traffic congestion: Lagos is notorious for severe traffic jams ("go-slows"), particularly during peak hours.
- Road maintenance: Many roads require regular upkeep to address potholes and wear.
- Expansion demands: Population growth has led to increased vehicle usage, necessitating new road constructions and upgrades.
Recent Developments
[edit]- The Lagos State government has initiated road rehabilitation projects and expanded major routes to reduce congestion.
- The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway upgrade project is nearing completion, expected to enhance connectivity between Lagos and other southwestern states.
- Construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge is underway, aiming to provide an alternative route between Lagos Island and the Mainland.
Airports
[edit]Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), located in Ikeja, serves as Nigeria's busiest airport and a major gateway to international and domestic destinations. Commissioned in 1979, the airport was originally designed to handle 200,000 passengers annually. However, due to increasing demand, it now accommodates over 8 million passengers each year, highlighting the need for ongoing upgrades and expansions to its infrastructure.[6]
Facilities The airport features two main terminals: the original Terminal 1 and the newly constructed Terminal 2. Terminal 2, commissioned in March 2023, boasts state-of-the-art facilities designed to enhance passenger comfort and operational efficiency. This modern terminal includes 60 check-in counters, 16 departure desks, 28 arrival desks, five baggage claim belts, eight security screening points, and seven passenger boarding bridges. It has a processing capacity of 14 million passengers per year.[7]
Additional amenities include a 22-room hotel, premium lounges, a prayer area, and free Wi-Fi. Terminal 2 complements the older facility, offering seamless integration between the two terminals to enhance operational flexibility.[7]
Ongoing Upgrades The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has initiated several rehabilitation projects to address wear and tear in the older terminal. A $38 million refurbishment project aims to modernize the existing facilities while maintaining airport operations during construction. The expansion of the air ramp is also underway to accommodate more airlines and improve aircraft handling capacity.[6]
These developments underscore MMIA's role as a critical hub for Nigerian and West African air travel, aligning with the government's commitment to infrastructure modernization.[7][6]
Railways
[edit]Lagos is connected with Abeokuta by 77 km of the Western Railway (1899) on the 1067 mm (3ˈ6") Cape Gauge, with a new 1435 mm (4ˈ8½") standard gauge line from Lagos to Ibadan opened 2021.
| Lagos Rail Mass Transit | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Owner | Lagos State Managed by Eko Rail under a Concession Agreement |
| Locale | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Transit type | Rapid Transit |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | December 2022 (expected) |
| Operator(s) | Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) |
| Number of vehicles | 15 four-car BMU CNR Dalian for Blue Line |
| Technical | |
| System length | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
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Lagos Rail Mass Transit is a system being developed and under construction in Lagos, Nigeria. The system (the first modern rail-based public transport in Sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa) is being sponsored by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and is envisioned to consist eventually of seven lines.[8] The railway equipment including electric power, signalling, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a Concession Contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network.[9]
Lagos government inaugurated the Blue and Red Rail Lines to revolutionise the city's transportation.
The concessionaire will generate its own dedicated electricity.[10] The first section of the network (Phase I of the Blue Line) was scheduled to enter revenue service by the first quarter of 2014,[8] but had not yet opened as of September 2014, amid delays.[11]
Timeline
[edit]- 2008: A metro is proposed for Lagos, allegedly with a completion date of 2011.
- 2009: Construction commences on the Blue Line.[8]
- 2010: Lagos Rail Mass Transit to proceed.[citation needed]
- 2016: Phase I (the Blue Line from Marina to Mile 2) planned to open in December 2016.
- 2018: After an Alstom review of the project, Phase I (the Blue Line from Marina to Mile 2) is now set to open in 2021.
- 2021: The Lagos State Government announced that the Blue and Red Lines will open in December 2022.[12]
- 2022, January: LAMATA purchases two Talgo VIII trains.
- 2023, September: The Blue Line starts service, connecting Marina to Mile 2.
History
[edit]The Lagos tramway ran from 1902 to 1933.[13] The passenger line was one of the earliest public transport system built within Lagos, carrying travelers, traders and workers from the train station at Iddo going to Lagos Island.[13]
The idea of developing rapid transit in Lagos dates from the 1980s with the Lagos Metroline network conceived by the Alhaji Lateef Jakande during the Second Nigerian Republic.[14] The initial Metroline project was scrapped in 1985 by Muhammadu Buhari at a loss of over $78 million to the Lagos tax payers.[15] The idea of developing a light rail network for Lagos was revived by Governor Bola Tinubu in the early 2000s with a formal announcement of its construction in December 2003.[16]
This initial $135 million proposal was part of the greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project to be implemented by the newly formed Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).[16] LAMATA initially concentrated on developing a Bus Rapid Transit system, running from Mile 12 to Lagos Island. In 2008, LAMATA began also to make progress with the rail project, focusing initially on the Blue Line and the Red Line.
Rolling stock
[edit]In September 2011, LAMATA announced that it would acquire some H5-series subway trains formerly used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The cars are being refurbished in the United States and converted to standard gauge before being imported and put into service on the Blue and Red lines. The same contract also included an option for some H6-series subway cars from the TTC, however this has since been cancelled.[17][18][19][20] The trains were built as two-unit married pairs[21] with a driver's cab in the front right corner of each car.[22]
Routes
[edit]Okokomaiko-Marina Blue Line
[edit]In April 2008, the Lagos State Government approved ₦ 70 billion for construction of the Okokomaiko-Iddo-Marina Line, with an estimated completion date of 2011.[9] Advisory services are being provided by CPCS Transcom Limited, an Infrastructure Development consulting firm based in Ottawa, Canada. Construction actually commenced in January 2010, and completion was initially expected in 2015.[23] However, the Blue Line did not open until September 2023.
The Blue Line was built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. The Blue Line runs 27.5 km from Marina to Okokomaiko, with 13 stations. End-to-end journey time is approximately 35 minutes. It was built as a high capacity, electrically powered rail mass transit system. Most of the route is on the surface, running east-west, in the central reservation of the rebuilt Badagry Expressway between Igbo-Elerin Road (Okokomaiko) and Iganmu.
The line runs on an elevated structure from Iganmu along the south side of the expressway passing the junction with Eric Moore Road, crossing just south of the National Theatre to Iddo, then south to Lagos Island with a terminal at Marina. A Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) will be constructed at Okokomaiko, with a track connection from the Blue Line to the depot.
The entire Blue Line operates over a secure and exclusive right-of-way, with no level crossings and no uncontrolled access by pedestrians or vehicles. Lagos State financed construction of the Blue Line from its own resources. A concession contract was awarded to finance, supply and operate the railway equipment, including electric power, signalling, trains, and fare collection.
The Blue Line opened in September 2023, and in its first year of operation moved about 2 million passengers.[24]
Agbado-Marina Red Line
[edit]The second line, the Red Line, will run from Marina to Agbado.[23] The line will share the existing 30 metre wide Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) right-of-way.[8]
Other lines
[edit]LAMATA has long term plans to build up to seven lines.[23]
Bus terminals
[edit]- Ikeja Bus Terminal, Ikeja
- Mafoluku Bus Terminal, Ikeja
- Oshodi Bus Terminal, Oshodi
- Oyingbo Bus Terminal, Lagos Mainland
- Yaba Bus Terminal, Lagos Mainland
- TBS Bus Terminus, Lagos Island
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Managing Road Traffic in Lagos". Traffic InfraTech. 2023-02-15.
- ^ "Lagos roads and the crisis of congestion". The Guardian Nigeria. 2023-01-10.
- ^ "Road Construction Projects in Lagos". Lagos State Government.
- ^ "Trans-African Highway Network Overview". Trans African Highway Initiative.
- ^ "Lagos-Badagry Expressway renovation progresses". The Punch. 2023-12-05.
- ^ a b c "Nigeria's Murtala Muhammed International Airport to undergo rehabilitation". Airport Technology. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "40 years after, Lagos Airport's new terminal changes travel experience". Daily Trust. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Lagos Rail Mass Transit". Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority. 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
- ^ a b Bisiriyu, Rasheed (April 11, 2008). "N70bn Lagos light rail ready in 2011". The Punch.
- ^ "Lagos Light Rail". Railways Africa Magazine. 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
- ^ "Eyebrows Raised Over Stalled $1bn Light Rail Project In Lagos".
- ^ "Lagos says blue, red rail lines will be ready by December 2022". February 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Miller, Nevil (1966). "Lagos steam tramway and its unique locomotives'". The Railway Magazine. 115: 103–106. ISSN 0033-8923.
- ^ "Turning Lagos Into a Megacity". PM News. April 14, 2004.
- ^ Farukanmi, Olorunnimbe (January 24, 2003). "Battle of Generals". Vanguard.
- ^ a b Momodu, Shaka (December 3, 2003). "Lagos Launches $135m Rail System". This Day.
- ^ Kalinowski, Tess (2011-09-06). "TTC subway cars bound for Nigeria". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ "Eko Rail's Trains Begin Journey to Lagos". PR Newswire. 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ "Report on sales of surplus assets" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
- ^ "First subway cars leave Toronto for Lagos". International Railway Journal. 2011-09-28. Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
The Blue Line is expected to carry 300,000 passengers a day with trains running at 5-minute headways.
- ^ "Lagos settles for refurbished subway cars for its light rail project". Nigerians Abroad. 2011-05-11. Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
Subway cars — equivalent of trains — are series of connected railroad cars used for intra city (urban) transportation, usually underground and operated by electricity.
- ^ "Toronto Transit Commission 5670-5807". CPTDB. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
- ^ a b c
The Report: Nigeria 2012. Oxford Business Group. 2012. ISBN 9781907065668. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
Also under development is the Lagos light rail network, which will be regulated by LAMATA. The $1.2bn contract to build the Blue Line, which will run 27.5 km through 13 stations from Okokomaiko to Marina, was awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. In anticipation of the Blue Line's 2015 completion, Nigerian firm Eko Rail has bought 255 subway cars from Canada's Toronto Transit Commission. Also being developed is the 30-km Red Line, to run between Marina and Agbado. LAMATA hopes to later add five more lines, to be serviced by Eko Rail.
- ^ Rapheal (2024-09-09). "Lagos Blue Rail Line clocks one, moves 2 million passengers". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
Further reading
[edit]- Conover, Ted (2010). "Drive Soft-Life No Get Duplicate". The Routes of Man: How Roads Are Changing the World and the Way We Live Today. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 263–297. ISBN 978-1-4000-4244-9.
External links
[edit]- LAMATA Rail Services official site
- Lagos State Waterways Authority official site
- "Lagos Rail Mass Transit System, Nigeria". Net Resources International (railway-technology.com). Retrieved 2013-04-14.
- Subways.net Lagos Rail Mass Transit
- Smith, David (2011-01-14). "How Lagos hopes a railway will end daily endurance test and change lives". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- "Eko Rail wins Lagos Blue Line concession" (PDF). Metro Report International. March 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-27. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
