Oando Clean Energy Limited and LAMATA launched Electric-Mass Tansit buses in Lagos.
A pathway to a carbon-free mobility ecosystem in the State will revolutionize the State’s public transport system. A three-month Proof-Of-Concept (PoC) phase tested electric vehicles for public transportation in Lagos State before the electric bus rollout. After a pilot phase with an enlarged fleet and bus routes, the countrywide deployment will employ approximately 30,000 Nigerians.
At the event, LAMATA Managing Director Abimbola Akinoja said, “This initiative is a major aspect of our vision for transportation in Lagos State, we are desirous of having a clean and efficient transportation system.
Today’s event shows our desire to engage the private sector to address Lagosians’ mobility demands. LAMATA, Lagos’ multi-fuel transport regulating organization, joins with OCEL for passenger EV bus use. LAMATA welcomes private sector partners that share Lagos state’s objectives. I am thrilled that in just over a year since Oando Clean Energy approached us to discuss the deployment of electric buses, we have signed an MoU with a key deliverable of implementing a PoC to finally include electric buses in our ecosystem.” We work with the world’s top companies to produce buses with zero tailpipe emissions, regenerative braking, and reliable battery and motor systems to navigate difficult terrain and traffic.
The company placed charging facilities at each bus depot to assure daily bus recharge. Our partners have also instructed all drivers on bus use and maintenance.
The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olalere Odusote, said, “Lagos sits on less than 0.4% of Nigeria’s landmass but plays host to 12% of Nigerians; that should tell you that this is indeed a crowded city, it is also the smallest state in Nigeria, yet the most populous. The environment causes many of our difficulties.
Research shows that most hospital admissions in the state are for respiratory illnesses, meaning they are breathing a lot of polluted air and costing the state money in missed work days, lost earnings, and hospital bills. This is another move the administration is taking to clean up the environment, along with other positive steps in the electrical sector.”
Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune, OCEL’s President/CEO, wants to revolutionize Nigeria’s transport sector. “This is an opportunity to revolutionize mobility in our country and build local capacity for the renewable and clean energy ecosystem,” he said. Today, these buses are imported, but soon they will be made in Nigeria. Many locally qualified engineers will operate, maintain, and service these buses and other renewable energy assets soon. Buses are a start.
This PoC collects the initial data points to enable EV development and implementation for municipal and public transit on the continent. Lagos state and we want to lead the way. We fought hard to get here, and we are sure that the steps we are taking, which I must stress would not have been possible without the support of Lagos state, LAMATA, LBSL, Primero, and the Governor, who saw the vision and imperative of committing to this trip."
The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, represented Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saying, “We are here today to write the script for a new future. Lagos and Nigeria have been witnessing long-term climate change. Human or natural sources can produce such shifts 3. There is ample evidence that human actions, particularly the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, have caused climate change.
World leaders and environmentalists are taking immediate action to save our planet. Lagos has the only climate action strategy in Nigeria. The plan includes 26 adaptation and mitigation initiatives to develop a sustainable low-carbon economy and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, 10 years ahead of the Federal Government’s 2060 objective. This project shows OCEL’s dedication to helping Nigeria reach her 2060 net-zero target and Lagos State’s 2050 goal.