The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oando Clean Energy to roll out electric mass transit buses, charging infrastructure, and service centres (EV Infrastructure Ecosystem).
Lagos is Africa’s most populous metropolis, with over 25 million residents, and projections suggest that by 2100, Lagos would be the world’s most populated city, with over 100 million residents.
The MOU, according to Abimbola Akinajo, managing director of LAMATA, would not only accelerate the government’s transportation goal but will also have a good impact on the environment’s health.
“Oando Clean Energy came to us with a comprehensive solution that went beyond electric mass transit buses to include supporting infrastructure, and this was key for us, as the full remit of an EV support ecosystem is the only way to achieve success.”
According to Akinajo, the collaboration will be part of a number of initiatives, including the Lagos state blue and red rail, which will set the tone for the state’s eventual decarbonisation of the road transportation sector.
Akinajo also stated that the initiative is looking at the future of automotive towards changing consumer behaviour, and ongoing improvements in battery and charging technology.
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This relationship can be derived from the global automobile sector, which is predicted to sell only electric vehicles, or EVs, by 2035, with electric vehicles accounting for 80 percent of worldwide vehicle sales by 2050.
The world’s major automotive markets—are the United States, European Union, and China.
Adewale Tinubu, chairman of Oando Clean Energy, expressed his delight at the agreement and praised Lagos state for its ambition of becoming a model for others to follow.
“We are excited to be embarking on this journey with Lagos State and must commend their foresight and willingness to forge a template for others to follow. It’s easy to be perturbed by the perceived challenges that come with the mega-city status tag, but by taking this bold step, Lagos is showing the continent what is indeed possible and giving other cities the impetus to redefine today how to build a public transport system for the future.” Tinubu said.
This initiative emphasises the relevance of Public-Private Partnerships in achieving the continent’s industrialization objectives. The public-private partnership (PPP) model has grown in importance across Africa as a finance and operational vehicle for social and economic infrastructure. It’s a well-known reality that government budgets can’t keep up with the demand for public infrastructure and services. For this reason, and others, governments are increasingly relying on Public-Private Partnerships to improve their ability to solve critical public needs and improve the general quality of life for their population.
At the signing of the MoU, Fred Oladeinde, the commissioner for transport, Lagos State, said: “With an understanding that transportation is a key emitter of greenhouse gases in Nigeria, we developed a strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 50 percent. A key component of this strategy was identifying and developing a more robust mass transit system for Lagos that would include rail and waterways amongst others. Using electricity to power mass transit is a step in the right direction, and from there we would gradually transit to private cars.”
“Today, investments in more sustainable transport infrastructure solutions can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits beyond a reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. In the medium to long term, it will unlock job opportunities, promote knowledge transfer and kick-start Lagos State and hopefully other states across the nation to leapfrog in terms of mass public transport infrastructure,” he added.
