OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has subsidized bus fares for residents to the tune of ₦14.9 billion through the operations of the Lagos State Bus Service Limited (LBSL) since 2019.
This disclosure was made by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing on the performance of the Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat administration held in Alausa, Ikeja.
Meanwhile, the Marina–Mile 2 section of the Blue Rail Line has recorded over two million passengers since it began operations.
LBSL was established to provide a modern, safe, secure, convenient, and reliable bus transportation system integrated with other public transport modes, offering affordable and accessible services to all residents.
The agency also serves as the designated state bus operator, maintaining standards set by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and setting a benchmark for other operators.
According to Osiyemi: LBSL has moved 60,882,000 passengers between May 2019 and February 2025.
The service currently moves an average of 42,266 passengers daily, with about 1,000 bus trips per day.
As of February 2025, the average LBSL fare was ₦542.66, compared to ₦1,097.73 on informal public transport.
This fare gap has translated into an effective fare subsidy of ₦261.67 per trip, amounting to ₦14.9 billion in total.
The LBSL Driving School has certified an additional 144 drivers, raising the total number of trained high-capacity bus drivers to 3,537 as of March 18, 2025.
Osiyemi also highlighted progress on the Blue Line Electric Light Rail, noting that:
Phase 1 covers 13 kilometers from Marina to Mile 2 with five operational stations: Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, and Mile 2.
This phase is now fully operational and has transported over 2 million passengers.
The full line will span 27 kilometers, extending to Okokomaiko, with Phase 2 construction (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) commencing in December 2023.
The Blue Line is expected to carry 500,000 passengers daily, with the state acquiring three new rolling stock.
Osiyemi also provided updates on the Red Line Rail Project, a 37-kilometer corridor running from Marina via Iddo to Agbado, along the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Right of Way, serving areas such as Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, Agege, Iju, and Agbado.
Phase 1 (Oyingbo to Agbado) is operational, sharing the NRC’s standard gauge track from Ebute Metta to Agbado (27 km).
Phase 2 (Oyingbo to National Theatre) has been awarded to CCECC as of February 29, 2024, with procurement of additional rolling stock ongoing.
Looking to the future, Osiyemi revealed that the state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the construction of the Green Line Metro Project, which will further expand Lagos’ public transportation network.
The Green Line, a 68-kilometer rail line, will run from Marina to the Lekki Free Zone.
Construction is scheduled to commence later in 2025.
Additionally, preliminary discussions have started on the Purple Line, a 57-kilometer corridor expected to connect Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Ojo, linking with Volkswagen on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
“These projects are part of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to delivering a world-class, multimodal transportation system that meets the needs of a growing megacity,” Osiyemi said.
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