By Olusola Ade

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday made significant progress in efforts to boost the state’s transportation and energy sectors as two major bills the Lagos State Railway Corporation Bill and the Ibile Energy Corporation Bill scaled second reading during plenary.

Leading the debate on the Railway Corporation Bill, Majority Leader and sponsor, Hon. Noheem Adams, described the proposed legislation as a milestone in the state’s transportation history. The bill seeks to establish the Lagos State Railway Corporation with the aim of improving rail transport infrastructure and services across the state.

Hon. Adams referenced the Fifth Alteration No. 65 to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which transferred railway matters from the Exclusive to the Concurrent Legislative List, empowering state governments to enact railway-related laws.

“If passed, Lagos will become the first state in Nigeria to establish a Railway Corporation,” Adams stated.

He outlined key provisions of the private-member bill, highlighting Section 2, which focuses on delivering effective and reliable railway services, and Section 4, which proposes the establishment of a Governing Board to manage the Corporation’s operations. Sections 5 to 14 detail the board’s roles, powers, and functions, including planning, infrastructure development, funding strategies, and auditing procedures to ensure transparency and accountability.

“This bill will set a standard comparable to global best practices,” Adams said, noting that while South Africa leads Africa with a 20,926-kilometre rail network, Nigeria lags behind with just 3,798 kilometres. He emphasized that Lagos, as the continent’s second-largest city economy after Cairo, must champion innovation in railway transport.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, commended the bill and its sponsor, stressing the importance of aligning with global trends of deregulation and privatization to improve efficiency in public service delivery.

“Governments around the world are embracing partnerships and privatization to drive development. We must consider aligning with that trend,” Obasa stated.

Following deliberations, the Railway Corporation Bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation with a mandate to report back in two weeks.

Similarly, the Ibile Energy Corporation Bill was committed to the House Committee on Energy for further legislative action, also with a two-week reporting deadline.