Opening of the Lagos–Ibadan Railway for Traffic. Inauguration Ceremony at Ido Island, Aro and Ibadan. March 4th to 7th 1901. Under the Auspices of His Excellency Sir William MacGregor (Lagos, 1901).

The opening for use of the Carter and Denton bridges, while affording great facility to the public, served to impart additional interest and attraction, and by 10 a.m., an immense concourse of people had collected on the Island. The first proposal for the construction of a railway, so far as the author have been able to discover, originated in July 1893 with a body called ‘The Western Syndicate’, at the head of which was Mr. Alfred L. Jones / of Liverpool. The work of construction is still going on at Aro, where a bridge is being built to carry a branch line over Ogun to the town wall of Abeokuta. Nothing could exceed the eclat and enthusiasm which characterized ceremony of the opening of the railway for traffic at Ibadan. The sports passed off most pleasantly and as night came on there was an almost interminable line of people through the principle thoroughfare wending their way back to their homes.