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.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
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