Lagos, Chinese firms sign MoUs on rail, rice production

The Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Chinese firm for the actualisation of the Green Line Rail mass transit project.

The state government also signed a MoU with a Chinese food processing company, Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Limited, to increase productivity in the rice value chain and enhance food security in the state.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revealed these in two different statements on Thursday.

The governor, who is currently in China with some state officials for an ongoing forum on China-Africa Cooperation, witnessed the signing of the MoUs.

In a statement on X.com, he said, “Lagos, yet another Metro line? Absolutely! The Green Line Metro is here.

“Today, we signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and China Harbour Engineering Company to bring this ambitious project to life.”

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, had told our correspondent in an interview on Sunday that the state was seeking investors for the project.

The Green Line is a 68km rail line designed to run from the Lekki Free Zone to the Marina, connecting with the Blue Line at Marina.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the new line would transform the transport landscape, linking key areas like Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah, and more.

“This rail line is projected to carry over 500,000 passengers daily at launch, rising to over a million as demand grows. With the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and CHEC leading the design, financing, and operation, the Green Line will redefine public transport in Lagos.

“The Green Line complements our existing rail lines, including the Red Line, which has already begun partial operations. Together, these lines form the backbone of our Strategic Transport Master plan, designed to create a fast, efficient, and connected Lagos,” the governor added.

According to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, there are six rail systems designed in the state transport master plan, differentiated by colours – Green line, Purple line, Yellow line, Orange line, Blue line, and Redline.

For the partnership with YKA Holdings Co. Limited to increase productivity in the rice value chain, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Rice Mill Initiative, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, signed the MoU on behalf of the state government, while the Group Director, Rice Industry Division, YKA, Wang Wei, signed on behalf of the Chinese company.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, revealed in a Thursday statement that the signing of the MoU was also witnessed by the Group Head of Rice, Wilmar Group, Prashant Trikha.

According to the government, the Imota Rice Mill was projected to provide 1,500 direct jobs, and over 250,000 indirect jobs and produce 2.8 million bags of 50 kg bags of rice yearly.

In another post on X, Sanwo-Olu also wrote, “By teaming up with YKA, we’re tapping into their wealth of knowledge and technological advancements in rice milling and processing. They will provide technical, advisory support for the optimisation and efficiency of rice production using modern agricultural practices, training and other ancillary services.”

Earlier in May 2024, the state government partnered with Niger State to boost rice production.

Fashola, who revealed this, said the government, through its rice mill initiative, was partnering with different states in the country to sustain the availability of paddy production and enhance productivity.