NURTW, RTEAN sign MoU on Lagos bus industry transition programme
By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos State Government to facilitate the transition of informal commercial bus operators into the state’s regulated public transport system.
The agreement, signed under the Lagos Bus Industry Transition Programme (BITP), is expected to provide a structured framework for integrating commercial bus operators, including yellow danfo operators, into a modern and regulated transport network.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Olawale Musa, described the agreement as “a new beginning for public transport in this state,” saying it reflected the commitment of government and transport stakeholders to building a safer, more efficient and sustainable transport system.
The BITP is being implemented by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to formalise bus operations across the state and establish a more structured system for managing commercial transport.
The MoU provides the framework for the transition of bus operations across Lagos’ eight Quality Bus Corridors (QBCs) and will serve as the basis for granting bus operating franchises under the new system.
Under the arrangement, transport unions will adopt a cooperative governance structure to facilitate the transition of their members into franchise operators, while fare collection will move to a fully digital payment system.
LAMATA will also retain regulatory oversight of operations across the designated routes.Four of the QBCs currently under construction ahead of the rollout of the integrated system are Iju-Ishaga–Abule Egba, Ketu–Alapere–Akanimodo, Iyana-Iba–Igando–Iyana-Ipaja and Ojuelegba–Lawanson–Cele.
The agreement was signed by the Lagos State Chairman of RTEAN, Mr. Samson Ajala Adepeju, and its Secretary, Bolaji Kawojue, alongside the NURTW representatives, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle Sego and Secretary, Comrade Usman O. Teslimfor.
Musa and the Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, signed on behalf of the Lagos State Government.
Speaking on the development, Akinajo said the agreement was the product of more than 30 months of engagement between the government and transport unions.
She said the collaboration could provide a model for other cities seeking to modernise their public transportation systems without excluding existing operators.
According to her, the integration of formal and informal transport operators in Lagos could become a reference point for cities seeking to reform their public transport sectors.
“This will become a baseline for other cities because it will be a verifiable example of a handshake between government and the unions,” she said.
Akinajo also dismissed concerns that the formalisation process was aimed at weakening or marginalising transport operators, stressing that the initiative was designed around collaboration.
“Formalisation should not be construed as strangulation. When we collaborate, the result will be formidable and capable of being replicated across other parts of Nigeria and in cities around the world that are seeking to formalise their public transport operations,” she added.
The MoU marks a significant step in the state government’s ongoing transport reforms, with the BITP expected to improve service delivery, commuter safety and operational efficiency while creating a more structured and sustainable bus transport industry in Lagos.