The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has announced that it is considering a partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group to develop an additional rail line.

In a statement released on Thursday, Kolawole Ojelabi, LAMATA's head of corporate communication, noted that representatives from the AfDB recently met with the transport agency to discuss potential collaboration opportunities.

The red line rail officially began commercial operations on October 15, 2024, following its inauguration by President Bola Tinubu on February 29 of the same year.

With an estimated capacity to transport 500,000 passengers daily, the red line aims to enhance the efficiency of Lagos’ transportation network and will work in conjunction with the blue rail line, which has been operational since 2023.

The state is actively pursuing the expansion of its rail transport system and is currently seeking $1.9 billion in investments for the purple and green rail lines, both of which are part of the Lagos rail mass transit (LRMT) initiative.

L-R: Solomon Quaynor, the AfDB vice-president for private sector infrastructure and industrialisation, and Abimbola Akinajo, the managing director of LAMATA, after a tour of the Lagos blue rail line on January 9, 2025
Regarding the recent visit from the AfDB, Ojelabi mentioned that Solomon Quaynor, the bank's vice-president for private sector infrastructure and industrialization, expressed a keen interest in collaborating with LAMATA.

“Quaynor was also in the company of Mr Mayowa Ayodele, Non-Sovereign Operations and Private Sector Equity Specialist, ahead of a visit of the technical team to assess the Purple line,” Ojelabi said.

“The visit follows a recent pitch for investment on 60-kilometre Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Purple Line at the African Development Bank forum in Morocco, where the Lagos delegation was led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“This is to further discuss collaboration on the project and other lines outlined in the Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan.

“The delegation toured the LRMT Blue Line and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Blue Line rail system.”

The statement indicated that the AfDB team was greeted with open arms by Abimbola Akinajo, the managing director of LAMATA, along with Olasunkanmi Okusaga, the rail transport director, Kemi Williams, a policy and program consultant, and Kolawole Ojelabi, who heads corporate communication.