Reps Urge FG to Construct Benin-Lagos Railway Corridor

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government to initiate the construction of the Benin-Lagos railway corridor. This resolution followed a motion adopted during a plenary session, moved by Omosede Igbinedion, a member representing Ovia North-East and Ovia South-West Federal Constituency in Edo State.

Igbinedion highlighted that Lagos and Benin City are major economic centers with significant daily movement of people and goods, but the strategic highway connecting them has become overstretched and increasingly unsafe. The current Lagos-Benin highway suffers from severe traffic congestion, dilapidation, and rising incidents of armed robbery and kidnapping.

The absence of a railway alternative is putting pressure on the national economy and endangering lives. The lawmakers emphasized that developing a modern railway line would provide a safer, faster, and more reliable commuting option, reducing road network pressure.

They urged the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Transport and the Nigerian Railway Corporation, to prioritize this project in the national transport master plan, incorporating security measures in the railway design and operations.