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Interswitch Unveils Three Transport Ticketing Products
By Dipo Olowookere
As part of its determination to bring succour to motorists in the country, Interswitch Group, the Nigeria Pan-African integrated digital payments company, has launched three transport ticketing products developed exclusively for the Nigerian market.
The three new products are the BeCard, the BeVal and the BeReader, but the company said it could expand this offer throughout Africa.
It was gathered that these products were developed as part of the multi-billion Naira deal signed with Bekoz UK Ltd, a British transport ticketing company, to enhance transportation ticketing in Nigeria.
The deal, which is worth £56 million (approx. N26 billion), will leverage British technology to keep Nigeria’s commuters on the move.
The BeCard is a regular shaped card – like any bank card or the Oyster card in London. The BeVal is the device that is installed on the buses where the passenger taps on – just like on the London buses, while BeReader is the mechanism that makes all these work.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr Akeem Lawal, Divisional CEO for Payment Processing at Interswitch highlighted the tremendous potential the partnership offers for revolutionizing the transportation system with attendant impact on millions of commuters in Nigeria.
He said: “Interswitch believes that the transport system in Nigeria, Africa’s largest consumer market, is ready for innovation. This partnership is a key and timely milestone in our industry vertical markets’ focus. It is highly compatible with our vision for Interswitch Transport Solutions (Smartmove) which is essentially to progressively facilitate a multi-modal and multi-operator transportation system underpinned by best-in-class technology”.
“This not only optimizes available infrastructural capacity, but also remarkably improves user experience for all parties in the transport and mobility ecosystem. Our partners, Bekoz, bring their expertise and experience to bear, and we are extremely optimistic about the multiplier effects that this initiative will ultimately have on economic activities across the nation,” he added.
Bekoz has co-created the technology with Interswitch and owns the intellectual property (IP) while the specifications and manufacturing is done by Delta Microelectronics, a global engineering company with a long and proud history of demonstrated excellence.
Speaking in Abuja, at the signing ceremony, Mr Jeremy Hunt, the British Foreign Secretary announced that Bekoz will be providing the contactless transit token technology and associated electronic equipment that allows people to travel around Nigeria’s large and varied transport infrastructure, similar to London’s Oyster system. However this will be tailored to Nigeria’s unique needs.
Mr Hunt said: “This is a great example of British and Nigerian companies working side by side to deliver a better, more prosperous future for us all.
“Africa’s success really matters to the UK, and this deal proves that we have a huge amount of expertise that we can share to contribute to that success. As we leave the European Union, now is the time to redouble our efforts, and commit to the partnerships we have with our African friends.”
Also commenting, Mr Jack Dangoor, CEO of Bekoz said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Interswitch to deliver a British-made fully custom transport ticketing system for Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Our technology offers an efficient and cost-effective solution for commuters and transport operators that satisfies local needs and utilizes the existing infrastructure provided by Interswitch. The ecosystem of the Bekoz solution will provide significant retail business and job opportunities in Nigeria and beyond.”
In the UK, topping up an Oyster card is quite easy. However, factors like limited network connectivity and little or no electricity might make topping the BeCard in Nigeria more difficult. That is why the BeReader is solar powered and does not require network connection all the time. It is a low-cost device and can transform anyone into an entrepreneur as every BeReader creates a business opportunity for the operator.
Much of the manufacturing will be done in UK, and the deal is expected to create jobs in the Nigerian business and transportation environment.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To boost economic activities in Lagos Island and support residents, the chief executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are, sponsored the training of eight persons at the LagRide Drivers Academy through the LagRide Partner Programme.
Mr Are funded both the academy training and the vehicle costs, removing the two barriers that most frequently prevent qualified drivers from entering formal, structured employment in the mobility sector.
The beneficiaries were handed over keys to their vehicles at a ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
They now operate a LagRide vehicle under the platform’s Drive To Own programme, which allows a Captain to earn daily income while working towards full ownership of the vehicle at the end of the agreed payment term.
“The initial capital required to be onboarded was never going to come from these young men, so we provided that intervention financially so that they can have good employment.
“Lagos is a megacity. My agency runs the largest gaming and fintech conference on the continent every year, and when those delegates arrive, we do not want them driven around in poor vehicles. This is also employment for our own people, and we have a great deal of unemployment and underemployment in this country.
“These Captains are from Lagos Island Local Government, and they can now take care of their own families. Let me be clear about one thing. This is not a project. It is a programme, and it continues,” Mr Are stated.
Also speaking, the chairman of LagRide, Ms Diana Chen, said, “Today is just a new beginning, and more and more people will come. More local governments will join us, and one day we want to bring the Governor here so that this programme runs across the state.
“LagRide is a platform where a person comes to take a job and ends up owning the vehicle. It is also a platform that any government, or any organisation with a social development or CSR mandate, can use to empower the people they want to support. The people get their own asset at the end of it.”
On her part, the lawmaker representing Lagos Island Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon, said, “Everyone keeps saying there are not enough jobs for our youths. This is our own way of ensuring that they are empowered.
“When you give a person money, it is money, and it finishes. This is the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him how to fish. You are giving these young men something they can use to take care of themselves, their families and their homes.
“We must thank the chief executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority for doing this, and I must also thank Chief Diana Chen. Lagos Island is a commercial hub, and we intend to keep the flag flying. This is the beginning, and we will be coming back to ask for more.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A bill aimed at prohibiting hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles in Nigeria has been passed by the Senate.
The bill known as the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, imposes fines between N50,000 and N100,000 for violations if assented to by the President.
The piece of legislation was passed by the red chamber of the National Assembly on Thursday and should later be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Members of the upper chamber of the parliament explained that the law was amended to discourage distractions in commercial vehicles and improve the safety of commuters.
In addition, motorists who fail to cooperate with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion are liable to fines or imprisonment or both.
Lawmakers noted that this was to improve compliance with road safety regulations and reduce road crashes, as fines for driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs were raised to N100,000 from N5,000, with the risk of spending two years behind bars.
It was also proposed that disobedience to traffic lights, road signs, pavement markings and other traffic control devices will now attract N100,000, while the fine for speed limit violations is now N100,000, with reckless driving now a fine of N100,000 or two years’ imprisonment.
By Dipo Olowookere
Residents and motorists plying the Aina Obembe Road in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, may soon heave a sigh of relief as the excruciating traffic gridlock being experienced in the area both day and night may soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, has directed those involved in indiscriminate truck parking along the road to remove the heavy-duty vehicles within one week, threatening to invoke appropriate enforcement measures for noncompliance with this directive.
Speaking during a meeting on Wednesday with the management of SENA Company, which owns the affected trucks, as well as the leadership of Oluwadara CDA and other key stakeholders like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), at the council’s secretariat, Mr Agbaje frowned at the prolonged inconvenience suffered by the community, stressing that public roads must remain accessible and safe for all users.
He emphasised the need for a collaborative approach in resolving the issue without undermining legitimate business operations, noting that he’s focused on finding a lasting solution to the gridlock experienced between Oluwaga and Aina Obembe, where parked trucks have continued to obstruct traffic, disrupt business activities, and pose safety concerns for residents and motorists.
He tasked the firm and the CDA to jointly identify and implement alternative parking arrangements that would remove all trucks from the affected roads and restore the free flow of traffic.
He declared that, “The welfare of our people remains our highest priority. No individual or corporate organisation should obstruct public infrastructure or create avoidable hardship for residents. We must ensure that economic activities coexist with public safety, order, and convenience.”
The council chief reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting orderly development, ensuring safe and accessible roads, improving traffic management, and creating an environment where businesses can thrive alongside the well-being of residents.
