Oando partners Lagos on mass transit

•To introduce electric buses, targets 22 million commuters

Oando has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), to revolutionise public mass transit buses.

“This initiative will not only accelerate the Government’s transportation agenda, but also positively impact the health of Lagosians and the environment.  

“The Oando brand comes with know-how and experience, and we are relying on this to successfully move from MoU signing to actual implementation that will in the medium to long term benefit over 22 million Lagos commuters.  We look forward to a very robust and fruitful partnership.”
   
The initiative reinforces the importance of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in enabling the continent to actualise its industrialisation goals.
 
“Across Africa, the PPP model has become increasingly critical as both a funding and operational mechanism for social and economic infrastructure.
     
“This is not the first time that Oando has partnered with the State Government nor the first time it’s created a blueprint for others to adopt in the realm of cleaner energy solutions. In the past, through its erstwhile mid-stream vehicle, Oando Gas & Power (OGP), today rebranded Axxela, the company pioneered private sector gas pipeline development in 2007 and championed the development of Independent Power Plants (IPPs) including the Akute and Alausa IPPs powering Lagos Water Cooperation and the Lagos State secretariat respectively.”
   
Commenting on the launch, the Chairman, Oando Clean Energy, Adewale Tinubu, said: “Oando Clean Energy was born out of a need to curate the best energy mix to propel Nigeria and indeed Africa, to its full potential.
 
“ As a company, Oando has always championed Public-Private Partnerships as fundamental to Nigeria’s industrialization. Through the signing of this MoU, we are revolutionizing the landscape of mobility by pioneering e-mobility in Lagos. 

“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.”
  
Also, the Commissioner for Transport, Lagos State, Dr. Fred Oladeyinde said: “With an understanding that transportation is a key emitter of greenhouse gases in Nigeria, we developed a strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 50per cent. 

“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 transition to private cars.
 
“This is just the beginning, there is still a lot more to come on stream.  I commend LAMATA and Oando on this MoU signing, and both parties can be rest assured that they have my full backing to ensure success.”