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The first phase of the Blue Line of the Lagos Light Rail Link was opened to traffic for more than ten years: more than ten years of casting China-Africa people's hearts project, and China's intelligent manufacturing vigorously unblocked the "blocking city"

author:21st Century Business Herald

21st Century Business Herald reporter He Liuying reports

On January 24, the third day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Rabbit, a light rail train sped past Marina, the commercial center of Lagos, West Africa's largest city, with its sky-blue body reflecting the seascape. Looking out from the carriage, you can see an open sea view, and the water waves are intoxicating.

The first phase of the Blue Line of the Lagos Light Rail Link was opened to traffic for more than ten years: more than ten years of casting China-Africa people's hearts project, and China's intelligent manufacturing vigorously unblocked the "blocking city"

(Lagos Light Rail Blue Line Project in Nigeria, image source: China Civil Engineering)

On the same day, the opening ceremony of the first phase of the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line in Nigeria was held at Marina Station, marking the landing of the first electrified light rail in West Africa in Lagos. Nigerian President Buhari took the first train and experienced first-hand the "safety, speed, convenience and comfort" of the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line. (Note: Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission announced in the early hours of March 1 that Bora Tinobu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress Party, won the general election held on February 25 and was elected president of Nigeria. )

Lagos is a port city consisting of several islands and mainland parts. As you can imagine, the construction of light rail on this site would be extremely difficult. But such infrastructure projects are necessary to ease urban congestion in Lagos. In 2008, the Lagos State Government decided to build seven light rail lines, starting with the Blue Line and the Red Line.

Soon, the Lagos State Government contacted China Civil Engineering Group Limited ("China Civil Engineering") to bid for the Blue Line project. The bidding process went smoothly, and in May 2009, the Lagos State Government officially awarded the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line project to China Civil Engineering. After years of construction, the first phase of the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line project was officially opened in early 2023.

As another fruitful result of China-Nepal infrastructure cooperation, this opening has been "pinned on high hopes". Buhari said rail transit can help ease urban traffic pressure, reduce air pollution, improve people's travel experience, and then improve the business environment, attract investment and promote urban economic development.

At present, the first phase of the Blue Line project is in the stage of passenger test operation, and commercial operation is about to open. In the blueprint of the project owner and China Civil Engineering, the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line will become one of the main means of travel for the local people, and the opening ceremony of Marina Station will also be the busiest station in Africa, with a maximum passenger capacity of 25,000 passengers per hour.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the light rail blue line project has become another representative livelihood project of China-Africa cooperation. Chen Sichang, General Manager of China Civil Engineering, said at the opening ceremony, "The first phase of the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line is the first electrified urban light rail transit project in West Africa independently designed, built, constructed and operated by Chinese enterprises throughout the industrial chain, which is both a people's livelihood project and a people's heart project. The project will change the urban landscape of Lagos and become a new national calling card of Nigeria. ”

"Green" construction of the Blue Line project

Lagos is Nigeria's largest port city and economic center, and was the capital of Nigeria until it moved its capital to Abuja in 1991.

According to public information, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a total population of 205 million, of which the population of Lagos exceeds 12 million. Due to the dense population and the need to improve the public transportation system, the problem of traffic congestion in Lagos is becoming more and more apparent, even known as the "city jam", and solving the traffic congestion problem has become a matter of urgency.

In this context, the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line project in Nigeria came into being. The 27-kilometre-long project passes through 11 stations, from Marina, the commercial centre of Lagos, in the east to the Badagray region in the west, with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour, which is significant for alleviating local traffic pressure. At the completion ceremony of the first phase of the project, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajid Sanwo-Oğlu, said, "This is a milestone in the development of transport in Lagos. ”

Milestones are not built overnight. Back in 2010, when the first phase of the Blue Line project officially began, but it did not go well. Zhang Zhichen, Executive Director of China Civil Engineering Nigeria Limited, stressed in an interview with 21 Reporter, "This project is not only the largest infrastructure project in the history of Lagos State, but also one of the most difficult infrastructure projects to construct. ”

It is reported that as the first cross-sea railway system in Africa, the Blue Line project not only needs to overcome the complex construction environment to complete the shore engineering, but also needs to complete the construction of the cross-sea bridge, in the process, geological problems, tide problems, etc. are quite tricky. Under pressure, China Civil Engineering chose to strengthen construction management information technology and implement smart manufacturing technology solutions to solve construction problems.

At the same time, as a modern light rail project, the Blue Line project insists on "green" construction. "During the construction of the project, we will sort and manage the construction waste, and the recyclable construction waste will be sent to the designated recycling location; Non-recyclable waste is transported to a sanitation location designated by the owner for disposal. In the construction technology plan, we will adopt new materials and new technologies to improve the safe and civilized construction standards; In terms of building energy saving, our lighting system adopts energy-saving lamps, indoor and outdoor lighting comprehensively uses solar and wind energy, and implements the concept of green development to create low-carbon environmental protection projects. The project leader told reporters. It is worth mentioning that in order to effectively optimize the green development of urban transportation in Lagos, the Blue Line will also be equipped with an independent power supply system to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction as much as possible.

Time flies, and the construction cycle of more than ten years has suddenly passed. At the beginning of 2023, the first phase of the Blue Line will be officially opened to traffic and commercial operation will soon open, and the construction of the second phase of the civil works from Matu to Okko Moco will also start in the near future.

From the perspective of both the contractor and the local government, this project is of strategic importance. At the transport level, the Blue Line project will vigorously smooth the local road network, "after opening to traffic, it will reduce the average commute time from one hour to 20 minutes, greatly easing the traffic pressure in Lagos State." The above-mentioned person in charge told reporters. Moreover, due to the cross-sea nature of the project, the Blue Line project will also facilitate the interconnection of local "land, sea and air". It can be said that the Blue Line project is expected to play an important role on the road to Lagos removing the hat of "blocking the city".

At the same time, the project also has good economic benefits. As the logistics and economic center of Nigeria, Lagos is expected to further consolidate its economic position in Nigeria and West Africa with the driving role of the railway economy and the expansion of urban development space. As Babajid Sanwo-Oulu has said, the Blue Rail project will help make Lagos a thriving, competitive and modern metropolis.

"It is not only a people's livelihood project, but also a people's heart project"

Thousands of people have worked together day and night, and the Chinese and foreign staff of the project have already forged a deep friendship.

In order to better integrate into the local area and carry out the project, China Civil Engineering has long attached great importance to the localization of the project. It is understood that during the construction of the Blue Line project, local personnel accounted for more than 98%, creating more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs; There are more than 50 local partners, subcontractors and suppliers, attracting local partners to participate in the project construction to the greatest extent.

Now that the first phase of the project has been successfully opened, every participant is honored. Marvis joined the team from the very beginning of the project as the assistant project manager for the Lagos Light Rail Blue Line project in the Southwest Region Manager of Sino-Turkish Group Nigeria Limited. "As I sit at the ceremony, looking back on the long way the LRT Blue Line project has come in the past decade, I am very proud and moved." Marvis told 21 reporters.

In Marvis's memory, there are two important imprints. One is that on December 21, 2022, the completion ceremony of the first phase of the Blue Line was held; The other is that on January 24, 2023, the first phase of the Blue Line will be opened to traffic. After many hardships, Mavis was overjoyed to finally see the completion and opening to traffic, "I think this is a satisfactory answer from the project department to the Lagos government and people. We have encountered many challenges from 2015 to 2020, but in the face of various challenges, we and the Group bravely forged ahead, overcame one challenge after another with practical actions, and solved one problem after another with advanced planning. ”

For the local people, this is also a precious gift. Marvis told reporters, "The local people's call for modern railways is very high, the light rail blue line can change the old rail passenger transport mode, and the people of Lagos have ushered in a modern, clean, efficient and safe way of travel." He said that this is the first electrified light rail in West Africa, which is an internationally advanced and unique project in Nigeria and even West Africa.

At present, the first phase of the light rail blue line is carrying passengers for test operation. Marvis told reporters, "The passengers participated enthusiastically, the carriages were full, and they all praised the train after the test ride." ”

The first phase of the Blue Line of the Lagos Light Rail Link was opened to traffic for more than ten years: more than ten years of casting China-Africa people's hearts project, and China's intelligent manufacturing vigorously unblocked the "blocking city"

(At the completion ceremony of the Lagos Light Rail Blue Rail Line, Zhang Zhichen, executive director of China Civil Engineering Nigeria Limited, took a test ride with Lagos State Governor Babajid Sanwo-Oulu.) Source: China Civil Engineering)

In Nigeria's vast land, there are many infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese companies. In August 2017, Wang Yan, Deputy Director of the Nigeria Research Center of the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University (African Regional National College), visited Nigeria's Akko Railway, which is the first modern standard gauge railway with "all Chinese elements" opened in Africa, which is of great significance.

Wang Yan then shared on social media: The Akko Railway built by the Zhongtu Group has become a star railway because of its safety, punctuality, speed and comfort. On July 26, 2016, on the day of its opening, President Buhari rode through the train, and ambassadors from various Nigerian countries experienced the railway, and primary and secondary school students from around Abuja came to visit the Idu Station of the Akka Railway.

These infrastructure projects have similar characteristics, as Chen Sichang, general manager of China Civil Engineering Group Corporation, emphasized, "it is both a people's livelihood project and a people's heart project." ”

Regarding the friendly exchanges between China and Nepal, Wang Yan commented, "In the field of infrastructure, China and Nigeria have a long time of cooperation. In this process, we have truly made good friends with the Nigerian people, and Nigeria's favorability towards China has continued to rise. ”

According to a recent report by the overseas edition of People's Daily, some time ago, Cambridge University and British public opinion research companies conducted surveys among tens of thousands of adults in more than 20 countries. The results show that the favorability of African people towards China has increased significantly in the past two years. Among them, Nigeria, the most populous in Africa, has a favorable opinion of China from 68% in 2021 to 83% in 2022.

China-Africa relations have a long history

The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 67th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between China and Africa.

In the new year, China-Africa friendly relations will continue to unfold. According to Xinhua News Agency, from January 9 to 16, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was invited to visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, Egypt and the headquarters of the African Union and the Arab League, continuing the fine tradition of Chinese foreign ministers visiting Africa for the first time at the beginning of 33 consecutive years. This reflects the profound traditional friendship between China and Africa, and also bears witness to the continuous development of genuine and sincere cooperative relations between China and Africa.

After the Belt and Road Initiative was launched, the enthusiasm of African countries to participate continued to grow. By the end of 2021, 52 of the 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China and the African Union Commission have signed cooperation documents with China to jointly build the Belt and Road.

In fact, China-Africa cooperation has long had its origins. In 1976, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway connecting Tanzania and Zambia was opened to traffic, a 1,860-kilometer railway jointly built by China, Tanzania and Zambia, which not only became the first overseas railway built by China, but also became an important confirmation of China-Africa infrastructure cooperation.

According to the experts interviewed, there are three main reasons why Africa plays a unique and important role in the Belt and Road process. "First, China and Africa have a highly complementary relationship, including natural resources, labor resources, market potential, geostrategy, international solidarity and other aspects of mutual cooperation and coordinated development. Second, both China and Africa have broad development space, the two sides continue to promote modernization in an independent way, Africa's huge market potential needs to be activated, and China's resilient development experience can be disseminated. Third, both China and Africa have profound historical heritage, colorful national cultures, and many similar concepts, common ideas and the same values, which has helped China and Africa become an important synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative." Zhou Qian, a professor at the Institute of African Studies (African Regional National College) of Zhejiang Normal University, told 21 reporters.

Standing in the long river of history, China-Africa relations can be said to have a long history. Zhou Yuyuan, a researcher at the West Asian and African Research Center of the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, told 21 reporters that China-Africa relations are a condensation of China's relations with developing countries and a model for South-South cooperation. He elaborated, "In the 50s and 70s of the last century, the older generation of leaders of China and Africa established profound friendship and created the foundation for friendly cooperation between China and Africa. From the 1980s to the 1990s, in the face of changes in the international situation, China and Africa supported each other and promoted China-Africa cooperation to be more pragmatic. After the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000, China-Africa cooperation entered the track of rapid development. In 2009, China became Africa's largest trading partner. At present, China has gradually become Africa's largest infrastructure financier and international project contractor, playing a significant role in promoting Africa's development. ”

Looking forward to the future, China-Africa friendly relations are expected to be further deepened. In the field of infrastructure, this hot land still attracts a number of Chinese companies to take root and promote a series of projects to benefit the people, such as the China-Africa African Union African Center for Disease Control and Prevention Headquarters (Phase I) project, which was completed early this year, and the Kiluwamassoko fishing port project in Tanzania, which was successfully signed last year, and so on.

However, it is important to note that large-scale infrastructure projects are often costly and take a long time, and are not without challenges for enterprises. Zhou Yuyuan said, "Infrastructure project cooperation is affected by the political and security situation, changes in the business environment, exchange rate changes and other factors in the host country, and there are problems such as slow payment collection and low collection rate. In recent years, due to the financial and debt situation of host countries, it has become more difficult to obtain financing for large-scale projects, which has had an impact on the development of new infrastructure projects. Experts interviewed suggested that Chinese companies should have the necessary understanding of the financial situation of the host country before undertaking a project.

For Chinese enterprises to "go global", Zhang Zhichen also gave specific suggestions. "Similar to many countries in Africa, Nigeria's economic development in recent years has not been stable enough and is susceptible to external factors," he said. Moreover, Nigeria is a typical oil economy, and fluctuations in oil prices will greatly affect the development of the national economy. It is recommended that enterprises preparing to come to Nepal should pay close attention to local political and economic changes, and at the same time combine the characteristics of the enterprise to carry out targeted business. ”

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