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Sanwo-Olu Commissions 13.6km Oshodi-Abule Egba Road
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The renovated Oshodi-Abule Egba axis on the popular Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway was commissioned on Tuesday by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The transformed 13.68 kilometre-long road now has a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in the middle to convey commuters in large number.
The Oshodi-Abule Egba corridor is a major link for residents who commute in and out of Alimosho, Egbeda, Ijaiye, Iyana Ipaja and Oshodi. The route is also a gateway to neighbouring Ogun State and Republic of Benin.
The BRT project was handled and supervised by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), an agency of the state’s Ministry of Transportation.
The new BRT corridor is a median running route with 14 drop-off terminals along the Oshodi-Abule Egba route, which terminates at Katangua Bus Station. Each terminal has well-ventilated foyer where passengers can sit and wait for buses. The route was designed with 11 pedestrian bridges, traffic safety measures and street lighting.
At the commissioning yesterday, an ecstatic crowd of residents filed along the route to welcome the Governor, who rode in a BRT bus to formally flag it off for public use.
He described the event as “a major milestone” in the implementation of his administration’s reform agenda in public transport system, pointing out that the handover of the BRT infrastructure was another promise fulfilled by his administration.
According to him, the transportation asset would create a new travel experience for residents of Alimosho and Oshodi, stressing that the project was specifically designed to improve journey time for commuters, thereby scaling up productivity and life expectancy in the State.
“A little over a year ago, we pledged to significantly improve traffic flow and transportation system which is the very first of our six-point development agenda encapsulated as Project T.H.E.M.E.S. We made the pledge knowing that the people are the main reason we have been entrusted with the management of our commonwealth.
“Today, we are here to formally flag-off a very important public transport infrastructure – the Oshodi–Abule Egba BRT corridor – which officially launches the commencement of transport operation along the BRT corridor.
“We are unveiling 550 high and medium capacity buses which will be immediately deployed for public use. This event also formally inaugurates our upgraded e-ticketing system in fulfilment of our pledge.
“This project is very significant because of its immense benefits to Lagosians in the different communities it straddles and to visitors to our state.
“This new BRT corridor will bring great relief to over 60,000 commuters who will use this facility daily. Travel time, which is estimated at an average of two hours during peak periods, will be significantly reduced to an average of 30 minutes. This will improve the health of our people, engender a safer environment, and increase the value of socio-economic activities in the state,” the Governor said.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said his administration’s reform efforts were geared towards birthing a new commuting order in the state through seamless travel and creating smart mobility model that’ll result in a congestion-free state.
He reiterated that his government remained committed to bringing problem-solving interventions across all modes of the transportation sector in Lagos.
To integrate all transport modes on a single smart payment ecosystem, the Governor launched an upgraded e-ticketing platform that would automate fare payment and create smart mobility through a cashless pre-paid Cowry card.
The e-ticketing mechanism has modern functionalities which simplify the process of bus booking and the ticket purchase. It introduces simple solutions that guarantee seamless cash and wireless payment for passengers at designated booths and will enable passengers to proceed to the loading bay and scan the card for fare deduction.
“With the e-ticketing system, we envisage the use of a single card on buses and ferries and later upscale to the railway’s system when passenger operations commence in 2022. The system promotes a cashless ecosystem, aids personal budgeting and planning and commuters can easily top-up,” he said.
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.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has cut import levies on new and used vehicles by as much as 10 per cent in a move aimed at reducing the cost of vehicle importation, even as it commenced the implementation of a new Green Tax surcharge.
According to an update issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, the import levy on new vehicles has been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
The customs said the policy is designed to ease the cost of vehicle imports while advancing the government’s environmental sustainability objectives through the newly introduced Green Tax.
The implementation also reduces the overall import duty on fully built passenger vehicles from 70 per cent to 40 per cent.
As part of the Green Tax framework, a new environmental surcharge of between two per cent and four per cent will apply to petrol-powered vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2,000cc. However, mass transit buses, electric vehicles, and passenger cars with engines below 2,000cc are exempt from the surcharge.
Beyond the automobile sector, the fiscal measures also lower import duties on several essential goods. The duty on imported rice has been reduced from 70 per cent to 47.5 per cent, while crude palm oil now attracts a 28.75 per cent duty.
In addition, import duties on agricultural and manufacturing machinery have been completely removed to support local production, while Waste PET has been added to the export prohibition list to encourage domestic recycling.
By Dipo Olowookere
Plans are underway to carry out a comprehensive data capture and registration exercise of all commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators within Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA.
This move, according to the council chairman, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, is part of proactive measures to strengthen the security of lives and property across the Local Council Development Area (LCDA). The exercise, he said, would be executed in partnership with security agencies and transport unions.
On Tuesday, the council chief convened a high-level security meeting with leaders of commercial transport unions and key security stakeholders operating within the area.
Mr Agbaje expressed concern over the increasing influx of commercial motorcycle (Okada) and tricycle (Keke) operators into the LCDA without proper documentation or profiling.
According to him, the absence of reliable records poses significant security challenges and could provide opportunities for criminal elements to infiltrate communities under the guise of commercial transportation.
He stressed that security is best achieved through preventive measures, noting that effective profiling and documentation remain essential tools in safeguarding residents and protecting the council from emerging security threats.
Mr Agbaje disclosed that under the new security framework, all Okada and Keke parks and operational locations across the LCDA would be officially documented, adding that every duly verified operator would receive an official identification jacket bearing a unique coded number to facilitate easy identification and monitoring.
He also said a mandatory guarantor system will be introduced to strengthen accountability, ensuring that every registered rider has a verifiable guarantor who can be contacted whenever necessary.
The chairman noted that these measures are designed not only to improve security coordination but also to protect law-abiding commercial operators and discourage criminal activities within the council.
Leaders of the various transport unions welcomed the initiative, noting that proper documentation will distinguish genuine operators from criminal elements, enhance public confidence, and promote a safer working environment for commercial transporters.
Also, the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Ayobo and Ipaja Commands commended the initiative, describing it as a timely and commendable step towards strengthening community policing. They reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to working closely with the council to ensure full compliance and sustain peace and public order.
