Lagos leapfrogs with improved colonial masters’ transport legacy
…As its modern train model challenges FG, other states
While they were leaving the shores of Nigeria, the colonial masters left locomotive train as the highest level of rail transport in 1960.
Since then, Nigeria has struggled over the years to improve on the transport system, especially rail transportation.
However, Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and industrial hub has taken the bulls by the horns to tackle the agelong bottlenecks in the transport sector with the roll out of the mass rail transit (MRT).
Lagos is currently home to a significant portion of the nation’s manufacturing sector, employing over 45 percent of Nigeria’s skilled workforce.
The state also serves as the country’s primary gateway, housing its busiest commercial seaports and airports.
The legacy of Lagos as Nigeria’s former capital has placed immense pressure on its already strained infrastructure, coupled with the growing demand for transport and other public services, which resulted in declining efficiency and productivity.
Lagos is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities, with a population of over 22 million and an annual growth rate of about 6 percent.
The rapid urbanisation, coupled with inadequate or poorly executed development plans, has led to significant transportation challenges within the Lagos metropolis.
For many residents, particularly the urban poor, the inadequacies of the transportation system are a major burden.
It is believed that an average household in Lagos spends an estimated 20 percent of their budget on transportation, second only to food expenses, which highlights the urgent need for a more efficient, accessible, and sustainable transport system.
However, recognising the need to improve the transport sector in Lagos State in 1992, a number of studies was conducted to define appropriate solutions.
The Lagos Mass Transit and Transport Systems (LMTS) Management Programme study among other things were undertaken. The study set out to identify actions necessary to address the complex transport situation in Lagos.
The study had as one of its major recommendations, the creation of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to coordinate transport policies, programs, and actions of all agencies at different tiers of government.
The 1992 study was followed by the 1996 establishment of a detailed framework for the creation of LAMATA.
LAMATA was envisioned to provide a strategic planning platform to address long-neglected transport needs of the metropolis and coordinate activities of the different executing agencies to provide a common and consistent basis for implementation.
On January 13, 2002, the then governor and current president of Nigeria, signed into law a State Act (LAMATA Law) setting up the agency as a semi-autonomous corporate body with an independent board responsible for the formulation, coordination and implementation of urban transport policies and programmes.
In 2007, the law establishing LAMATA was strengthened to include planning and regulatory functions across the various modes of transport under the amended LAMATA Act 2007, placing LAMATA at the centre of Lagos’ development master plan.
Moses Lawal, a Lagos-based public commentator said the progress recorded by Lagos State in the area of transportation has been quite challenging, interesting, and impressive.
‘In retrospect, an ardent observer cannot but commend the journey from the era of monstrous “molue” buses- with “44 seating, 99 standing” standard, bullying its way through craters on the road and snaking through street traders, to the relative comfort and dignity offered by the BRT buses, FMLM buses, and LagRide e-hailing taxis,” Lawal said.
According to him, the rail sector has been the most impacted by the positive wave of change within the transport system. “If not for the inglorious military interregnum between 1983 and 1999, the Lagos Mass Rail Transport System would have not only advanced in coverage areas, but also in quality,” Lawal said.
According to him, the metro system conceptualised by Lateef Jakande, the then governor of Lagos State, was stopped by the military after the 1983 takeover of government.
“Nevertheless, the restoration of democracy gave birth to the Lagos State Strategic Transport Master plan by the Bola Tinubu’s 1999-2007 administration,” Lawal recalled.
According to him, successive administrations in Lagos have been adhering to the masterplan with some adjustments till date.
Nneamaka Nwadei, media executive/creative producer, said Lagos has made transportation easier for commuters especially with the introduction of the rail transport system.
“Considering that it’s an electric train, the commute time from the mainland to the island has been truncated by over an hour.
“As someone who does a lot of work between both axis, being able to move easily has helped me save time and money,” she said.
According to Nwadei, the state government have also improved on the Blue Line by cutting travel time between Mile2 and Marina to 18 minutes.
“And they have got even better because the rail transport system has only 10-18 minutes between each trip, meaning more people can move between both points more frequently,” Nwadei said.
Today, Lagos State boasts of the Blue and Red Line Rail Mass Transit metros, with construction of a Green Line scheduled to start before end of the year and the Purple Line also inching towards the construction phase.
While the rail system is ongoing, water transportation is equally fast evolving, with the introduction of electric-powered modern ferries on the inland waterways.
The modern bus terminals, interchanges, BRT lanes and Quality Bus Corridors (QBCs), Intelligent Transport Systems, modern buses, trains, ferries, among others speak to the evolution of public transportation in Lagos State.
“Saying I am proud of how far and well the journey has been will be an understatement. However, I must equally admit the challenges of slow pace of project executions, need for expansion of fleets/rolling stocks, and complete eradication of the archaic system that coexists with the modern systems,” Lawal added.
Lagos Development Plan 2012-2025
The Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) is a policy document that came into being by harmonizing all existing high level policy documents operational in the state.
The plan captures past strategic development plans and statements and bring them into a harmonious and coherent whole.
The Lagos today, Lagos tomorrow components of the development plan speak to sustainability of the development plan.
The LSDP presents a baseline picture of the state in its manifold aspects: economic, infrastructure, social services and protection and sustainable environment. It also provides the overall strategic framework and direction for achieving the state’s vision.
The high-level policy document sets out the overarching policies, strategies and targets for the development of Lagos that could be regularly monitored and reviewed for lasting and sustainable growth.
Lagos with the ambition of becoming Africa’s model mega city, is currently the fastest growing cities in the world.
“The goal of LSDP is to harness the economic potentials of Lagos and mobilise investments that will ensure that Lagos state plays its vital role as Nigeria’s and West Africa’s economic hub,” Babatunde Raji Fashola, the executive governor of Lagos State between 2007 and 2015, wrote in the foreword.
The LSDP among other things seek to provide an overall direction for the growth and development of the state, by providing a framework through which all sectors of the economy – public, private and civil society – can direct their energies and contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of people in the state.
It also seeks to harness all three parts of the State: the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature in a joint endeavour to realise the Vision of Lagos.
Read also: Lagos transport interchange hubs: The changing face of Marina, Mile 2
The QBC & Lagos’ 2050 net-zero equation
Abimbola Akinajo, the managing director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), recently embarked on a comprehensive tour of the ongoing Quality Bus Corridors (QBCs) project.
The project comprises three key corridors: Package 1a: Ketu-Alapere-Akanimodo, Package 1b: Yaba-Lawanson-Ijesha-Cele, Package 2: Abule Egba-Iju Ishaga, and Package 3: Igando-Iyana Iba.
It is being funded by the Lagos State Government and Agence Française de Développement.
The initiative, which is jointly funded by the state government and Agence Française de Développement, aims to improve public transportation by introducing laybys with shelters and improving junctions to enhance traffic flow.
The project also includes revamping three major bus corridors with remodelled walkways and laybys.
Similarly, LAMATA recently hosted a critical roundtable discussion on emission management, unveiling its ambitious strategies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in Lagos by 2050.
The roundtable was focused on the impact, challenges, and actionable strategies for emission reduction across the state.
The collaborative effort between LAMATA, Wycliffe Advisory and Consulting Ltd, and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC), served as a pivotal platform for shared expertise in urban sustainable and climate-friendly mobility.
Akinajo disclosed that daily trips within Lagos are expected to surge to 40 million by 2032. In response to this anticipated increase and the overarching net-zero goal, she outlined LAMATA’s multi-pronged approach to mitigate emissions.
These strategies include the implementation of the Bus Reform Initiative, promotion of waste-to-fuel initiatives, active encouragement of Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) like walking and cycling, and substantial investment in air quality monitoring and baseline data collection.
Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP)
The Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), overseen by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), is a roadmap for an integrated, multi-modal public transport system for Lagos.
It envisions a system of Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Inland Waterways, and Cable Cars, along with First Mile-Last Mile (FMLM) buses.
The plan aims to reduce congestion, lower transport costs and emissions, and improve overall quality of life by providing safe, efficient, and equitable transportation services.
As part of efforts to deepen the STMP, the Lagos state government recently unveiled the alignment of its Green Line Metro—a 68-kilometer railway project that will stretch from the Lekki Free Zone to Marina.
Designed to serve as a high-capacity coastal transit corridor, the Green Line is expected to carry up to 500,000 passengers daily at launch, with ridership projected to grow to 1 million as demand rises.
“This project is a strategic investment in Lagos’ future—linking critical residential, commercial, and industrial zones while reducing travel time and road congestion,” Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor, stated.
According to the governor, the Green Line will be integral to boosting economic activity and improving quality of life in the fast-growing Lekki-Epe corridor.
The rail line will feature 17 stations and connect seamlessly with the Blue Line at Marina, creating a central interchange for smoother cross-city transfers.
By running along the city’s eastern coastal stretch, the Green Line is also expected to serve key development zones, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Dangote Refinery, and the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
