A new life begins in Lagos on Monday as the much-awaited Blue Line Rail will start commercial operations on Monday.
Interestingly, this is coming a few days after the city was rated as one of the best-loved to live and work in.
After having been persistently harassed as being among ‘worst’ places to stay, Lagos rebounded as one the most cherished cities, the ones people desire to be globally.
A 2023 report by Brand Finance City ranked the city otherwise called the Centre of Excellence as the fifth best African city with high desirability by people to live, work, and invest in.
According to the report, Nigeria’s commercial city polled 56.7per cent in a survey conducted behind Cape Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Casablanca (Morocco) as the first four best African cities with 62.9, 60.7, 59.7, and 59.3 per cents respectively.
It came fifth in Africa, with London coming first overall.
Although expectations are very high, many will not only salute Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for making the Blue Rail dream a reality, they will also hail the memory of the state’s first civilian Governor, the late Lateef Jakande, for first conceiving a metro rail project truncated by the military junta led by the then General Muhammdu Buhari – in the mid 1980s.
Meanwhile, the Blue Line Rail will move from Marina to Mile 2.
Speaking at the Blue Rail Line Terminal in Marina on Tuesday, the Managing Director, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is expected to be the first passenger at exactly 9am at the Marina station on Monday.
She added that from Tuesday, September 5, partial passenger operations will start from 6:30am to 10am, for morning peak; and for afternoon peak, from 4pm to 9:30pm.
These operations, according to Akinajo, will start with 12 trips for two weeks, which will later be increased up to 76 trips per day.
Watch actor Okele in this tribute to Lagos:
