Broadcasting
Lagos Acquires 10-car Speed Trains for Red Line Project
The Lagos state government has purchased two 10-car, 330 km/h Talgo speed trains for its Red Line railway project.
L-r: Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Temitope Adewale; President & CEO, Talgo Incorporated USA, Antonio Perez; Acting Mayor of Milwaukee, Cavalier Johnson; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. (Mrs) Abimbola Akinajo, during a factory tour of high-speed train manufacturers, Talgo Incorporated Company for the acquisition of two sets of brand new 10-car Metro Trains for Lagos Rail project, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, on Tuesday, 18 January 2022. With them: Special Adviser to the Governor on Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye (third right), Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Federic Oladeinde (right) and others
State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu completed the procurement agreement for the trains on Tuesday at an event inside the Milwaukee facility of Spanish train maker Talgo Incorporated in the US.
Trains will head to Lagos for the state’s Red Line, a 37km rail project.
Once completed, the Red Line will have 11 stations and will transfer passengers from Agbado to Oyingbo.
Sanwo-Olu said the state government was excited to complete the purchase of the two new trains.
He said the acquisition was in line with his administration’s commitment to efficient traffic management and transportation system.
The governor was accompanied on the trip by the State Transportation Commissioner, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde; the Governor’s Works Advisor, Ms. Aramide Adeyoye; and the Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Ms. Abimbola Akinajo.
He said that government officials inspected the trains, looked at the configuration and were satisfied that the trains would fit on the Red Line tracks.
”A train is not something that you can just go to the platform and pick up. We are very lucky to have new trains.
”We have seen our beautiful white and red trains. Coincidentally, the train line is called Red Line and you can see that they have given us the color.
“We’re just going to mark it and put our stamp on it,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu talks about the fast trains purchased for the Red Line project
He hoped that the purchase of the trains would be the start of a mutually beneficial business relationship between Lagos State and the train manufacturer.
“Providing a source of livelihood for our citizens is about providing jobs for our people and that is what we are doing.
”This is about ensuring that we can build our economy; people can move from one place to another and businesses can grow,” said Sanwo-Olu.
He said that part of what the government had achieved in the past two and a half years was an integrated urban mass transit system, in which road, river and rail infrastructure would be used to move more than 20 million residents in and around of the state.
Milwaukee Mayor Pro Tem Cavalier Johnson, who hosted Gov. Sanwo-Olu in town, said it was bittersweet to have missed the opportunity to have trains operating in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
Johnson congratulated Governor Sanwo-Olu on the acquisition of the trains and hoped it would make moving in Lagos State easier.
Mr. Antonio Pérez, CEO of Talgo, USA, said that it was important that the trains be used.
“It’s no use for the trains we build to be stored and maintained without passengers riding on them,” Pérez said.
The Lagos state delegation inspected the interior design of the newly acquired 330 km/h Talgo intra-urban metropolitan trains.
Since the beginning of his administration on May 29, 2019, Sanwo-Olu has upheld his administration’s commitment to making the Red Line dream a reality.
The governor promised Lagos state residents that the Red Line would start in the quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023, with a capacity of 500,000 passengers per day.
Mr. Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, took centre stage at the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) annual end-of-year meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, recounting the company’s remarkable growth and reaffirming free IT training for journalists.
Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, in a group photograph with NITRA Members
Speaking directly to IT media members at the company’s training facility in Lagos, Akano acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting New Horizons during its formative years two decades ago.
He detailed how the firm evolved from a handful of staff to one of Africa’s leading ICT skills training organisations, now employing about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
Akano Spotlights Youth Training, University Partnerships
Akano highlighted that New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly tertiary institution students, equipping them with practical IT skills essential for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He announced recent partnerships with universities, including a new agreement with Afe Babalola University, to scale hands-on training programmes for students.
“This growth would not have been possible without the media’s support in documenting our journey,” Akano stated, pledging continued free IT skills training for media members to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Reciprocal Support Defines Long-Standing Partnership
The venue hosting the NITRA meeting underscored Akano’s generosity; NITRA Secretary Chidiebere Nwankwo secured the free facility after contacting him—a gesture consistent with New Horizons hosting multiple association events and training IT journalists since its inception 20 years ago.
Participants shared personal testimonies of Akano’s support, including veteran journalist Aaron Ukodie, whose daughter—an Accounting graduate from the University of Johannesburg—received NYSC placement and IT scholarship at New Horizons.
The Guardian’s Yemi Adeyemi recounted Akano accommodating his editor’s child for mandatory IT training after other firms declined.
Members praised Akano’s commitment to human capital development as evidence of deep appreciation for the media community that chronicled New Horizons’ success over two decades.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched the NIMC Pre-Enrolment Portal to revolutionise the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process, enabling applicants within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to capture biodata online prior to biometric verification at enrolment centres.
NIMC
Accessible via penrol.nimc.gov.ng, the platform allows users to fill enrolment forms, schedule appointments, upload supporting documents securely, and manage personal details directly, thereby slashing congestion, minimising wait times, boosting data accuracy and enhancing overall service efficiency at centres nationwide.
NIMC Director-General and CEO, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, spearheaded the initiative as part of the Commission’s technology-driven strategy to fortify institutional performance, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that emphasises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and inclusive national development.
Dr Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, highlighted key benefits including simplified biodata handling, confidential data protection through robust security measures, reduced physical centre visits and heightened operational effectiveness, urging all prospective enrollees to adopt the portal for a faster, citizen-friendly experience.[conversation_history]
The move underscores NIMC’s mandate under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 to manage the National Identity Database, issue NINs and foster a reliable digital identity ecosystem vital for national planning, with users advised to complete pre-enrolment online before heading to selected centres for biometrics.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
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