All preparations for President Muhamadu Buhari’s presidential visit to Lagos next week, Monday and Tuesday, have been completed, with five major projects to be commissioned, dubbed the “Festival of Project Commissioning.”
Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, revealed this on Friday during an inter-ministerial press briefing with Lagos State House Correspondents at Alausa, Ikeja.
Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Fredrick Oladeinde, Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Mananagent Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, among other senior goverment officials were in attendance.
President Buhari is expected to arrive Lagos via Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on January 23 and 24.
Part of the projects to be commissioned include: Lakki Deep Sea Port, Lagos Rice Mill, Imota, Lagos Blue Lite project, among others.
The commissioner assured that adequate security have been put on ground to ensure protection of lives and property, saying “there is no cause for the alarm.”
He also called for public cooperation and support to make the visit seamless and eventful.
According to Omotoso: “President Muhammadu Buahri, GCFR, will be on a two-day working visit to our dear State. As you are well aware, this will be Mr. President’s first official visit to Lagos State since assumption of office by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat in May, 2019.
“Although Mr. Governor had hosted the President during some of his visits to Lagos, but next week’s visit by President Muhammadu Buhari will be one with a difference.
“It is a visit where Mr. President will again see the beauty of Lagos and take the opportunity to see first-hand, the life changing and people-oriented projects that were conceptualized and completed by the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration.
“The projects that will be inspected and commissioned by President Buhari comprise the : Lekki Deep Sea Port, the 32-metric tons per hour Lagos Rice Mill, the 18.75-kilometer 6-lane rigid-pavement Eleko Junction to Epe Expressway,
‘The John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History as well as our pride, the iconic Lagos Blue Line rail project. The 2-day trip to Lagos will also see Mr. President commissioning a private sector project, MRS Lubricant factory, in Apapa.
“To this end, we have tagged President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Lagos ‘’A Festival of Project Commissioning’’. The Lagos State Government will welcome Mr. President with our signature centre of Excellence slogan and put on display our characteristic excellent performances and executions.
“Mr. President is scheduled to arrive Lagos on Monday, 23rd of January via the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport, where he would be received by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and some top dignitaries.
“There will be a short ceremony, which will include cultural display, presentation of bouquet and inspection of guard of honour by the special guest.
“Thereafter, Mr. Governor will lead the guest on helicopter to the Lekki Deep Sea Port for the official commissioning of the largest Sea Port in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Mr. President and his host would be received at the Lekki Deep Sea Port by top Government functionaries and board members of the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
“The chief host, Governor Sanwo-Olu is expected to deliver a speech to formally welcome Mr President. There would also be a tour of the Lekki Deep Sea Port facility by the President, Mr. Governor and other guests.
“The President is expected to drive through and commission the newly constructed Eleko Junction to Epe road project before departing via helicopter to the Lagos Rice Mill in Imota.
“While at Imota, Mr. President will take a tour of the Rice Mill facilities and shown Lagos State Government’s readiness to bridge the deficit in local rice production. The President will commission the Rice Mill, which is the
“We all know that Lagos is known for a great sense of hospitality and conviviality. These great Lagos attributes would be on display in the evening of Monday 23rd during the State banquet being organized to honour of our guest. Mr. Governor and his spouse, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu will lead other dignitaries to give President Buhari a befitting Lagos welcome.
“There will be musical performances and other forms of entertainment to make the evening a very memorable one for Mr. President and all the invited guests.”
Day 2
On the second day of the visit, Omotoso added, “Mr. President will commission the MRS Lubricant factory, a private sector project in Apapa on Tuesday 24th January. He will depart Apapa for the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History for commissioning and a tour of the Museum.
“The John Randle Museum, first of its kind in black Africa, will afford the President opportunity to interact with art enthusiasts, curators, historians and academia, and students who have been invited to the programme.
“Subsequently, Mr. President will to move to the Lagos Blue Line Rail Project in Marina, where different activities have been lined up for him.
“At the Blue Line Terminal, Mr. President will witness the signing of the phase II of the rail project, which is beginning from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko.
“He will also commission the Phase I and take a train ride from Marina to Mile 2 and back, and depart. Lagos.”
Also speaking, Oladeinde explained that traffic officers would be deployed to strategic areas the President will be traversing.
According to Oladeinde, “Traffic will be restricted on Monday 23rd January with diversion on the Island on Tuesday 24th January, 2023 in preparation for the visit.
Oladeinde assured that alternative routes have been mapped out as well as the deployment of the State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA to manage Traffic flow during the two day visit.
Explaining the routes that would be manned by the LASTMA Personnel, the Commissioner stated that; on the First day which is Monday, movement around Lagos Rice Mill, Imota in Ikorodu, and the Lekki Deep Port Sea axis will be restricted.
While on the Second day which is Tuesday 24th, movement around Eko Hotels and Suites, Ahmadu Bello Way, J-Randle through to Broad Street and Outer Marina will be diverted from 6.00am to 3.00pm.
Pleading with motorists for their cooperation, Oladeinde highlighted the alternative routes made available to include: Motorists diverted from Ahmadu Bello Way, Ademola Adetokunbo and Akin Adesola Street to Falomo Bridge (Five Cowries Bridge), to Alfred Rewane Road to connect their desired destinations.
While motorists that are Onikan bound from Ozumba Mbadiwe and Bonny Camp are enjoined to make use of Falomo Bridge (Five Cowries Bridge) or Awolowo Road.
Oladeinde further stated that motorists from Awolowo Road heading to Onikan Roundabout, Tinubu Square or any other part of the inner Island will make use of Falomo Roundabout to link Alfred Rewane to further their journeys.
Another diversion option made available according to him is for motorists from King George V Road to connect Moloney Street and then Obalende for their desired destinations, or alternatively link Turton Street through Moloney Street to Lewis and Sandgrouse Streets.
For the motorists from Eko Bridge trying to link Marina, they will be diverted to Elegbata, Ebute Ero to Police Post to link the 3rd Mainland Bridge (Adeniji Adele) to further connect their desired destinations.
While stressing that all the adjourning atreets leading to the dedicated routes for the movement of Mr. President will be temporarily closed, Oladeinde assureels public of a well mapped out strategy to minimize delays and inconveniences of road users.
LASEMA warns against indiscriminate parking of vehicles
Meanwhile, all residents with abandoned vehicles on the routes where President Buhari will be conveyed have been advised to remove such or will be impounded by the state government.
Oke-Osanyintolu gave the warning while speaking vwith newsmen at briefing.
He noted that 65 heavy duty emergency equipment and 60 ambulances would be deployed to ensure that unforseen emergencies are rescued during the visit.
He noted that all abandoned buildings within the terrain would be on high surveillance and will also be combed to prevent any form of security threat.
Oke-Osanyitolu, therefore, appealed to all residents who do not have urgent event outside their dormains during the presidential visit to desist from loitering on routes assigned for the president’s movement to prevent harassment by over zealous security operatives.