25th May, 2011
Barely 10 days after President Goodluck Jonathan’s train ride from Lagos to Abeokuta, over 50 schools in Lagos State have signed an agreement with the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to use train for their excursions.
The Lagos District Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ademuyiwa Adekanbi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the schools —primary and secondary – had negotiated for train ride for their pupils.
“The negotiation is to enable the pupils to travel by train during their excursions. They are likely to visit places of interest outside Lagos.
“For a start, the train will take them from Lagos to Ijoko in Ogun and back.
“Apart form the schools, individuals and organisations have also indicated their interest to travel by rail as part of education and for tourism,†he said.
Adekanbi said the special interest being showed in the corporation’s train services was triggered by Jonathan’s inauguration of the NRC’s new locomotives.
NAN reports that Jonathan had on March 12 had a two-hour train ride on the Lagos-Abeokuta route to attend a rally in Ogun State.
Others on the presidential entourage were Ogun Governor, Gbenga Daniel; Minister of Transport, Suleiman Yusuff and the Minister of Commerce, Chief Jubril Martins–Kuye.
The NRC’s Chairman and PDP Acting Chairman, Dr. Haliru Bello Mohammed and NRC’s Managing Director, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade were also on board.