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Firsts in Transport
Fresh approaches for upgrading transport systems
Nigeria’s transport infrastructure remains under-developed, but with the help of international partners and private sector operators, the country is seeing new initiatives succeed in making an impact on the transport sector and on the economy in general.
Improving Urban Transport in Lagos
Lagos, now the world’s sixth largest city, is the fastest growing metropolis in the world; its population is around 20 million at the moment, and it is projected to grow to 25 million within the next 20 years. But until recently, the city had no organised mass transit system. In 2002, the World Bank approved USD150 million to draw up a Lagos Urban Transport Project, which identified public transport as the first major priority for the city’s development. The Lagos State Government set up the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) to head up efforts to transform the transport system, and following a feasibility study funded by the World Bank, the city began work on the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT).
The BRT is the first initiative of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on best practices from Colombia and Brazil, the project consists of a high-quality bus transport system with dedicated bus lanes, and is operated as a public private partnership, with the state financing infrastructure and the private sector paying for buses, depots and maintenance. BRT began operating in 2007, and by 2010, the project was carrying 100% more passengers than expected, making up around 3% of motorised trips in Lagos and serving around 200’000 commuters.
The Lagos Urban Transport Project is still in progress: the next step for the city is setting up a Light Rail Transit System. Construction has already begun on the first light rail route and is set to be completed in 2012. The Lagos Urban Transport Project continues to be supported by the World Bank as well as the Federal Government and Lagos State Government, and other stakeholders are also getting involved. In March 2010, the UK committed to funding the Lagos Urban Transport Project with £30 million over the next five years. The UK’s investment will go to improving capacity in the bus system and helping set up the Light Rail Transit System. France announced in 2009 that it would invest USD100 million in the Lagos Urban Transport Project by the end of 2010.
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