President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the naming of some railway stations in the country.
This was announced in a statement by the Ministry of Transportation on Monday, July 27, 2020.
The details revealed that the stations are along the Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe/Ajaokuta/Aladja/Warri corridors.
For the Lagos-Ibadan corridor, with extension to the Lagos Port Complex at Apapa railway station, Buhari approved naming stations after his vice president, Yemi Osinbajo (Kajola station); and former Lagos State governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu (Apapa station).
Also, the Ebute Metta station was named after the former military administrator of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson; while the Agbado station was named after a former Lagos governor, Lateef Jakande.
The railway station in Abeokuta was named after Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka; while the Papalanto station was named after political activist, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and the Olodo station was named after former Ogun State governor, Segun Osoba.
The Agege station was named after another former Lagos governor and current Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
Buhari also named some stations after two former Premiers of Western Nigeria: Ladoke Akintola (Omio-Adio station) and Obafemi Awolowo (Ibadan station), and Nigeria’s first elected Vice President, Alex Ekwueme (Operation Control Centre).
His predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan also had a station named after him (Agbor station complex); while the Itakpe station was named after Kwara’s first civilian governor, Adamu Attah.
This is for the Itakpe-Ajaokuta/Aladja-Warri corridor.
Buhari also named the Ajaokuta station after the influential former senator, Olusola Saraki; the Itogbo station was named after the former military vice president, Augustus Aikhomu.
The Agenebode station was named after a former military governor of Bendel and Kwara States, George Innih.
The Uromi station was named after influential anti-colonial and pro-democracy activist, Anthony Enahoro; while the Ekehen station was named after a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi, and the Igbanke station was named after a former military governor of Bendel State, Samuel Ogbemudia.
Others who had stations along the Itakpe-Ajaokuta/Aladja-Warri corridor named after them include a former military governor and Chief of Army Staff, David Ejoor (Abraka station); prominent businessmen, Micheal Ibru (Opara station), and Alfred Rewane (Ujevwu station); and a former military vice president, Mike Akhigbe (Railway Village, Agbor).
The Ministry of Transportation noted that the deserving citizens have contributed to the progress and development of their respective communities, as well as Nigeria.