By Juliet Umeh
At 6 a.m. on the Lekki–Ajah corridor, a CMS T&M Nigeria Limited bus – part of Lagos State’s assisted mass transit scheme – is already packed, crawling toward CMS. Some passengers stand, while others sit cautiously in most cases, on torn seats quietly worrying about bed bugs or cockroaches. Yet people squeeze in anyway.
For thousands of commuters along the corridor, the bus is not a choice. It is survival.
“The fares are cheaper than Danfo or Korope,” says Fatima Suleiman, a trader who uses the route daily. “But look at the buses, torn seats, smoke everywhere, always breaking down. They make money every trip, but nothing changes. You start wondering where the money goes. They can hardly maintain their vehicles.”
Lagos, home to an estimated 26.4 million people, according to the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, operates one of Africa’s most complex urban transport ecosystems. Danfos, Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, buses, CMS T&M Nigeria Limited fleets, TATA Starbus, Mass Assisted Transit, Lagos Bus Service Limited, LBSL, buses, minibuses (korope), ride-hailing shuttles, ferries, rail services, and private staff buses all compete daily for road space.
Yet beneath this complexity lies a more fundamental problem: how fares are collected, tracked, governed, and accounted for.
Visible progress in select areas where digitisation works—and why it matters
Lagos has recorded measurable progress in transport digitisation. The Cowry card, introduced in 2020 and deployed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, enables cashless payments across BRT services and the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system. Through the Touch and Pay, TAP, system, commuters who recharge their Cowry cards can seamlessly access BRT buses and rail services without handling cash.
Some Lagos ferry services, including the state-operated Omi Bus ferries, also accept Cowry Tap & Pay cards, part of efforts to interconnect payments across transport modes, even though full digital ticketing adoption across the wider waterways network is still evolving.
At its core, this approach reflects Digital Public Infrastructure, DPI, principles: interoperability, open standards, shared data, and user-centric design, and strong public oversight – systems designed to serve the public interest at scale.
The commuter experience
For commuters like Oluwaseun Adebayo, the difference and impact is immediate.
“Before, you had to pray the conductor had balance,” she says, tapping her Cowry card at the Oshodi BRT terminal. “Now, I just tap and sit. The buses are well maintained. There is space to sit properly, no squeezing of legs, and the journey feels more organised.”
Similarly, Kunle Adeyemi, a junior civil servant commuting daily from Ikorodu to CMS, agrees. Noting that the inculcation of digital payment on BRT has quietly changed his mornings.
“I used to leave home angry,” he laughs. “You queue, argue over fares, struggle for space, and still arrive late. Today, I tap my card, board in an orderly line, and settle into a seat without the familiar shoving. Once I tap my card, I know the fare is fixed. No shouting, no delay. The bus moves on time.”
For commuters like Kunle, the BRT demonstrates how structure, digital payments, and proper maintenance can turn public transport from a daily struggle into a manageable part of urban life.
Powered by Tap and Pay technology, the Cowry card collects fares across regulated transport services and remits agreed percentages to operators. Officials say it has reduced disputes, improved transparency, and sped up boarding.
Beyond convenience, digital fare collection creates verifiable data trails. Revenue can be audited. Maintenance schedules can be planned. Operator performance can be monitored. Government can regulate more effectively.
This is not just technology. It is governance by design, a philosophy that operationalises principles and safeguards of DPI.
The limits of Lagos’ transport digitisation
Outside BRT, rail, and state-operated ferries, digitisation remains fragmented. CMS T&M Nigeria Limited fleets, LBSL buses, TATA Starbus and minibuses continue to operate with paper tickets and cash payments.
Across high-traffic corridors such as Ajah–CMS, Abule-Egba, Badagry-Mile 2, Iyana-Ipaja–Oshodi, and Ikorodu–Lagos Island, Oshodi-Egbeda manual cash handling still dominates, even on buses running full every trip.
Transport analysts say this fragmentation undermines fleet maintenance, service reliability, and expansion.
“Manual cash collection severely undermines accountability,” says the Head of Human Resources at Technation Logistics Ltd. Mr. Wonder Akpeki.
“Cashless systems are essential for transparency. Lagos should adopt open data standards, regulatory sandboxes, and public-private partnerships, with government retaining regulation and oversight.
“Deploying digital transport infrastructure at scale is feasible, as shown by BRT systems, but success depends on disciplined execution and sustainable maintenance, not city size.”
A banker, Chinedu Okeke, recounts his experience on an analogue bus.
“I joined a bus from Ojota to CMS one rainy morning. The window couldn’t close, part of the roof was leaking, and everyone was shouting at the driver.”
Despite BRT gains, the network still does not cover the daily passenger volume across the state, leaving room for other commercial buses that operate manually.
“Manual systems make accountability almost impossible,” says an anonymous mobility expert. “Cash leakage thrives, revenues are difficult to audit, and maintenance suffers. That is the opposite of smart transport.”
When analogue transport becomes a public health issue
The consequences extend broken seats and delayed journeys.
The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has raised concerns about deteriorating air quality driven largely by vehicle emissions.
Speaking with Vanguard during the department’s retreat in Lagos, Director of Environmental Assessment, Mr. Sojinu Olasunkanmi, revealed elevated levels of PM2.5 and PM10, microscopic particles across parts of the state.
“Poorly maintained vehicles and high sulphur fuel are major contributors,” he said. “Our data shows we need better traffic management, improved fuel standards, and stronger enforcement.”
linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides
Lessons from global DPI-aligned cities
In cities such as Milan and Gothenburg, a single daily or weekly ticket grants access to buses, trams, trains, bicycles, and scooters. Payments are interoperable, transport data is shared, and commuters move seamlessly between modes. Kenya is moving in a similar direction, integrating digital ticketing with open mobility data.
These systems are not owned by private operators alone. They are governed as digital public goods, built on open standards, with public accountability and inclusion at their core.
By contrast, Lagos still operates a hybrid system, part digital, largely analogue, limiting the impact of its reforms.
Government response: Integration in progress
The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation says it is formalising transport operations through the Bus Reform Initiative, BRI.
Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, said the initiative, currently piloted along the Lekki–Epe corridor, aims to integrate informal buses into a structured system.
In an exclusive interview with Vanguard, she explained: “The initiative ensures that only high and midi-capacity buses ply the expressway while minibuses operate inner roads.
“Through franchising, private operators can procure buses, be allocated routes, and adopt digital fare payments using the Touch and Pay, TAP, system.
Ogunlola noted: “Cowry cards currently operate within formal transport arrangements, with plans to extend to operators joining the system.
On emissions, Ogunlola said Lagos is transitioning toward compressed natural gas, CNG and electric transport, citing electric rail lines, the Omi Eko ferry project, and fleet conversions supervised by LASWA and LAMATA.
Technology can work—if structure comes first
Mobility technology providers, Treepz, insist Lagos can run large-scale digital transport systems but reforms must be anchored in structure, planning, and data.
Content and Community Manager at Treepz, Maryann Nwosu, said many fleets still depend on cash, paper records, and manual supervision.
“Drivers are not always trained to use digital tools properly, and many buses are old and break down often,” she said.
“Even when booking, tracking, and payments are digital, poor vehicle conditions and weak processes slow down the impact of technology.”
From Treepz’s experience moving over 5,000 employees daily in Lagos, structured routes, assigned drivers, and clear schedules are key.
“Trying to digitise the entire informal network at once would be difficult, but growing step by step through organised fleets works,” Nwosu added.
Cash payments make tracking revenue almost impossible, affecting audits, maintenance, and planning.
“At CMS park alone, over 1.4 million people used digital transport services in 2025 in our company. The data helped us to see performance clearly and plan better,” she said.
Mr. Wonder Akpeki echoed similar concerns. “Manual cash collection severely undermines accountability. Cashless systems are essential for transparency.
“Deploying digital transport infrastructure at scale is feasible, but success depends on disciplined execution and sustainable maintenance, not city size.”
The human cost of stalled reform
For commuters, inefficient transport means lost time, stress, higher fares, and reduced productivity. For the government, fragmented systems enable revenue leakages, undermining fleet maintenance, expansion, and public trust. For the city, ageing fleets worsen emissions, public health risks, and environmental damage.
Experts argue that Lagos’ smart transport ambitions must move beyond branding and isolated technology deployments. They must become true digital public infrastructure, interoperable, accountable, and designed around the people who rely on it daily.
SOURCE: VANGUARD
