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Ogun Plans Mass Transit Services to Lagos, Others
By Adedapo Adesanya
Ogun State is set to commence the operation of the mass transit services to Lagos and major towns in the state.
This was disclosed by Governor Dapo Abiodun while receiving reports on the transportation sector on the Abeokuta Urban Transport Policy.
The report was submitted by the Head of United Kingdom Prosperity Fund, Nigeria Office, Ms Martha Bostock. It also contains the Strategic Transport Intervention Plan for Ogun State.
The Transport Steering committee is headed by the State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Gbenga Dairo, with support from the Department of Transport Planning and Management of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye.
The Governor noted that the Bus Mass Transit was deliberately conceptualised to improve quality of life by reducing travel time, improving local air quality, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and preventing road fatalities and crashes.
Mr Abiodun reiterated that the present administration was poised towards achieving an effective multimodal transportation system, adding that the state government had embarked on various strategies in achieving an effective transportation system by rehabilitating both urban and rural roads.
He further stated that the flag-off of Ogun State Bus Mass Transit Scheme would commence in May, while light rail services in the state would commence as soon as discussions are concluded with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and Lagos State to take full advantage of rail infrastructure within Ogun for the development of the state.
“As part of government’s deliberate efforts at modernising and promoting efficiency in the transport sector, as contained in our urban renewal programme, the berth of Ogun Bus Mass Transit, which takes off in May, is aimed at providing improved movement of people in the state through a bus-based public transport system designed to have better capacity and reliability than a conventional bus system with a view to providing valuable public health benefits by reducing road fatalities, crashes and injuries; reducing personal exposure to harmful air pollutants, and increasing accessibility for public transport users”, the Governor maintained.
Governor Abiodun, who commended the committee for painstakingly carrying out its assignment towards the growth of the state transportation sector, promised his government would ensure proper implementation of the committee’s report.
“I can assure you that we will implement the reports and will not leave them on the shelves to gather dust. I am convinced that the implementation would change the face of transportation in the state,” Mr Abiodun stated.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Gbenga Dairo, expressed confidence in the reports of the committee and the partnership with the United Kingdom Prosperity Fund, which he said would facilitate considerable resource allocation and investment in the Ogun State transport sector.
He disclosed that the Lagos Red Line from Oyingbo to Alagbado would be extended further into Ogun passing through Ijoko to Kajola/Ifo in Ado-Odo/Ota and Ifo Local Government Areas of the state.
He added that discussions with the NRC would not only connect the proposed Cargo Airport with the new Lagos to Ibadan rail and the proposed East-West line along Sagamu-Benin Expressway.
This line, according to the Commissioner, would berth new rail stations at Ijoko, Itori, Obada-Oko, Osiele, and Odeda, while branch lines at Ijoko, Kajola, and Papalanto would serve economic development zones in the state.
Speaking on the corridors of operation of the state BRT services, the Commissioner said inter-State BRT services would be between Shagamu-Mowe and Lagos as well as Ota and Lagos, with Park and Ride Services on the Mowe-Ibafo-Lagos corridor, while intercity bus mass transit services would start with a hub at Abeokuta, connecting services to Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro, and Ota.
“We shall invest in both the quality and capacity of the public transport system, road and rail, in our greater push towards using public transport to ease human and cargo movement just as we seek to make public transport a choice mode for all commuters, including car owners, integrating travel information and fares as a way to better serve commuters while divisively maintaining a sustainable and high-quality living environment,” Mr Dairo added.
In her remarks, Head of the United Kingdom Prosperity Fund, Ms Martha Bostock, expressed the readiness of the UK authorities to offer technical assistance to Ogun state in building capacity in its transport department for development and sustainability, urging that government should initiate a legislative framework that would make the project implementation successful and also facilitate foreign support.
“Future Cities of Nigeria will offer technical assistance to Ogun State in building capacity within the state government’s department like the Ministry of Transportation and other relevant agencies about what a good transport policy should include.
“I like to see the policy put in place with necessary legislative action aiding the policy to be used to advertise the state to attract more investments which I hope would help the state’s development and its continued transformation,” Ms Bostock noted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The corporate mobility solution from Bolt, Bolt Business, has expressed its desire to strengthen relationships with existing customers in Nigeria by introducing solutions tailored to industries with frequent employee mobility needs, including healthcare, financial services, legal services and logistics.
This is as the organisation, over the past 12 months, delivered double-digit growth in the country, driven by expanding adoption across multiple industries, growing demand from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and an increasing number of firms seeking cost-efficient alternatives to managing in-house transport fleets.
The Country Manager for Bolt for Business Nigeria, Mr Isaac Iroko, disclosed that the smarter mobility solutions being planned will improve visibility, simplify expense management and support business growth.
“Our focus remains on building products that create value for organisations of every size while delivering a seamless experience for their employees,” he stated.
Bolt Business has continued to experience an increasing demand from businesses seeking smarter, more efficient ways to manage employee transportation and business travel.
It serves organisations across a broad range of industries, including financial services, technology, healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, logistics, media, real estate and fast-growing consumer businesses.
The growth reflects a broader shift in how Nigerian businesses approach corporate mobility. Rather than maintaining expensive vehicle fleets or relying on fragmented transport arrangements, more organisations are adopting digital mobility platforms that offer greater transparency, control and operational efficiency.
“Businesses today are looking beyond transportation; they’re looking for smarter ways to optimise operations and manage costs.
“We’ve seen organisations across different sectors embrace Bolt Business because it gives them a simple, reliable and transparent way to manage employee travel, whether it’s daily commutes, client meetings or business trips.
“This growth demonstrates that corporate mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of business efficiency in Nigeria,” Mr Iroko stated.
Unlike traditional fleet management, Bolt Business enables companies to centralise transportation through a single platform, providing features such as centralised billing, trip reporting, spending controls and real-time visibility into employee travel. These capabilities help businesses improve oversight while reducing the administrative burden associated with corporate transportation.
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.
