Lagos, Oando Drive Sustainable Public Transport with New Electric Buses

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State government, in partnership with Oando Clean Energy Limited, have taken delivery of electric mass transit buses to kick off a sustainable road transport system in the state.

According to a statement provided by Oando, this is in furtherance of a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding it signed with Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to enable the successful deployment of an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Ecosystem, which include electric buses, charging stations, and other supporting infrastructure, in the state.

It stated that the MoU was signed to bridge the gap in the state’s current mass transit bus system and cater to the increasing number of commuters in the state.

Oando revealed that it partnered with Yutong Bus Co Limited to produce electric buses for the state. It noted that in addition to the arrival of the electric buses, it has also taken delivery of the charging stations and spare parts necessary to ensure their effective operation.

The energy firm said, “Consequently, and in line with the provisions of the partnership between OCEL and LAMATA, the receipt of both the buses and charging stations marks the commencement of our Sustainable Transport Initiative, which is one of the Company’s pipeline projects to support Nigeria in meeting her goal of net zero by 2060.

“The company’s strategic vision is to decarbonise the transport system in Nigeria and in the process, strengthen the socio-economic impact of transportation within the country. Over the next seven years, and through the rollout of over 12,000 buses, this initiative will transition the current combustion mass transit buses to electric, starting in Lagos State and eventually across the country.”

The firm highlighted that in the medium to long term, the initiative would employ at least 3,000 new drivers and 2,000 workers to support bus maintenance and depot management and has an estimated economic cost savings of $2.6 billion (3.6 per cent of Lagos’s GDP).

The Managing Director of LAMATA, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said, “The arrival of the electric buses confirms Lagos State Government’s commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas effects, using modern rolling stock, powered by clean energy, in the State’s transport operations.”

The Chairman of OCEL, Mr Adewale Tinubu, added, “Audacity and innovation have always been key tenets in our journey to transform Nigeria’s energy future.

“It is this spirit that has brought us to this juncture today – at the forefront of propelling Nigeria towards realizing her net-zero targets.

“The arrival of our electric mass transit buses and development of an EV infrastructure ecosystem is a reminder that the only way to remain ahead of the curve is by being unafraid to break new ground and consistently looking for opportunities to leapfrog.”