How the Lagos Green Line Rail will look.

By Funke Cole

To parody the prophetic words of Victor Hugo, you can’t stop an idea whose time has come! That is what the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu seems to be saying when he recently gave his imprimatur to the Green Line Rail project, the third of the rail mass transit system under his administration, to begin this year.

A man with his eyes steadied on the ball, in almost six years, Sanwo-Olu has continued to raise the bar in the area of project delivery across every spheres of the state, including transportation, road infrastructure, healthcare delivery, amongst others.

With the successful completion of the Blue and Red Line Rails, both of which are serving different routes to the admiration of Lagosians, there is hope that the Green Line Rail will follow suit.

The governor gave his assurance to that effect recently while unveiling three newly built roads in the Eti Osa Local Government Area, where he noted that 17 other roads would also be unveiled this year.

Unable to hide his excitement, Sanwo-Olu  said: ‘We are working with the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) and our contractors to start the Green Line this year. The project, which will start from Victoria Island and terminate at Ibeju Lekki, will be a game changer in transportation on the Eti Osa corridor.

‘This network of roads is a key component of the Transportation and Traffic Management Pillar under our administration’s THEMES+ Agenda. The strategic needs of the projects underscore our commitment to creating a smarter and more efficient transportation system that supports sustainable development and improves the ease of doing business in Lagos’.

The 68-kilometre Green Line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, running from Marina to the Lekki Free Zone, is billed to be completed within five years, subject to funding availability.

Phase one of the project, which will terminate at Sangotedo, is set to begin shortly. The governor emphasised that the Green Line is not merely a transportation solution, but a key driver for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), especially in emerging corridors such as Ibeju-Lekki, Epe, and Eti-Osa.

Besides, the rail line will start at Marina, passing through the foreshore of Walter Carrington Avenue and extending to the median of Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue. From there, it will continue to Abraham Adesanya, veer left toward the proposed Ibeju-Lekki Airport, and ultimately connect with the Lekki Free Zone.

During the project’s scoping workshop in Lagos where critical stakeholders recently got a comprehensive briefing on the 68-kilometre rail route transport project, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide highlighted the rail line’s potential to spur TOD. He disclosed that phase one, which would end at Sangotedo, is scheduled to start shortly. This is just as he announced the government’s long-term goal to finish the full Green Line project within five years, contingent on funds availability.

The statement noted that the Green Line, one of the city’s rail projects aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and supporting urban expansion, is set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of transportation.

Olumide further highlighted that the Green Line is integral to the broader plan to shape the “new Lagos”, integrating land use and transport planning to foster economic development. However, he noted that the five-year completion target is contingent on the timely availability of funding.

The 68-kilometre Green Line, connecting Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, is a cornerstone of the Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan. The state government has also emphasised its intention to complete the entire Green Line before commencing commercial operations, further accelerating the city’s transport modernisation efforts.

Earlier in 2025, the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MOFI to initiate exploratory work for the Green Line. A cursory review of the 2025 federal budget proposal revealed that N146.14 billion has been allocated as counterpart funding for the project, which is being managed by MOFI. With the federal budget increasing from N49.74 trillion to N54.9 trillion, this funding allocation could see a further rise.

In September 2024, Lagos formalised a partnership with MOFI and China Harbour Engineering Company to design, finance, and operate the Green Line.

This, in a manner of speaking, is a green light to the Green Light rail project.