In a recent announcement, the Ogun State Government unveiled its commitment to extending the Lagos Blue Rail Line project into the border towns of the state. The disclosure was made by Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, the State Commissioner of Finance and Economic Adviser to the Governor, during a media event held at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre in Abeokuta, the state capital, as part of the presentation of the state’s 2024 budget.
Emphasizing the government’s dedication to enhancing infrastructure, Okubadejo, accompanied by other state commissioners, outlined the ambitious plans to surpass the 2023 budget implementation. He highlighted that the 2024 budget, named ‘The Budget of Sustained Growth and Development,’ amounts to N703.03 billion, comprising N287.37 billion in recurrent expenses and N415.66 billion in capital expenditures.
The finance commissioner elaborated on key allocations, with N95.05 billion earmarked for personnel costs, N27.35 billion for consolidated revenue, and N59.09 billion allocated for public debt charges. Okubadejo outlined specific projects, including extending the Lagos Blue Rail Line Project into Agbara and ensuring the extension of the Lagos Red Rail Line Project to Ijoko and Ifo/Kajola. These initiatives align with the state’s multi-modal transport plan under the Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission initiative.
Addressing economic challenges, Okubadejo stressed the government’s strategic approach in dealing with inflation, insecurity, and infrastructure deficits. He underscored the importance of leveraging the state’s comparative advantage, focusing on creating efficient logistics and innovation hubs to reduce production costs and position the state as the most economically viable.
The State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, commended the visionary leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun, citing remarkable improvements in the yearly budget performance. Olabimtan highlighted the strategic debt management approach for survival and development, with a commitment to achieving sectoral global benchmarks.
Engr. Ade Akinsanya, the State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, outlined plans to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Works for the reconstruction of the Sango-Owode-Idiroko road and Lagos-Sango-Abeokuta road. Akinsanya assured the completion of ongoing road projects across the state, including the Gateway International Airport road, Ilaro-Owode road, Atan-Lusada-Agbara road, Ijoko-Agbado-Akute-Alagbole road, and community roads in all 20 Local Government Areas.