LAMATA: We’ve commenced payment of compensation to Ogun residents affected by rail project

The Lagos state government says it has commenced the payment of compensation to about 800 residents affected by the establishment of the right of way for its rail mass transit red line project in Ogun.

Kolawole Ojelabi, corporate communication, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), said this in a statement on Thursday.

According to the statement, the residents comprise tenants and property owners.

It added that the compensation process was carried out jointly by officials of the land bureau of the Ogun state government and consultant to LAMATA, Messrs. Global Impact and Environmental Service, and witnessed by officials of LAMATA.

Abimbola Akinajo, managing director of LAMATA, said the process was one of the outputs of the Lagos-Ogun joint development commission — the body set up to ensure seamless development between the two states, especially where there are cross-boundary issues.

Represented by Osa Konyeha, technical adviser, corporate and investment planning, LAMATA, Akinajo said Lagos is developing a number of transport schemes that would impact Ogun, stating that one of such projects is the red line rail project which would have a station and depot in Agbado.

The red line project is a 25-kilometre rail road from Agbado in Ogun state to Marina in Lagos.

The first phase (from Agbado to Oyingbo) is currently under construction and is due to commence passenger operations in the first quarter of 2023, according to the state government.

The project is expected to bring significant economic and mobility benefits to the states and shorten travel time between Agbado and Marina in Lagos by more than two hours.

Last week, Lagos and Ogun states signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) granting the former access to acquire space for the construction of a train station and depot yard in Agbado.

“The MoU is a product of several high-level meetings between both states for the red line rail which is projected to move more than one million passengers daily when fully completed and create employment for thousands of people apart from promoting real estate and improving the lifestyle of the people of both states,” the statement reads.