The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has stopped accepting new diesel-powered buses into the state’s regulated public transport system, accelerating the transition to compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles (EVs).
The policy, which took effect at the beginning of 2026, applies to operators introducing new buses into the regulated system. Existing diesel buses will be progressively replaced with CNG and electric alternatives.
Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, LAMATA Managing Director/CEO, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after the handover of 20 additional high-capacity CNG buses delivered under the Presidential Initiative on CNG and EV.
Akinajo said the policy forms part of Lagos State’s broader effort to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with transportation identified as a major source of emissions.
She said operators bringing new buses into the regulated public transport system would now be required to use either CNG or electric vehicles. “We know that transport is one of the major sources of emissions, and LAMATA has now told all our operators bringing in new buses that we will no longer accept diesel buses.”
According to her, the transition will eventually result in all buses operating within the regulated system being powered by either CNG or electricity, with the longer-term objective of moving towards an entirely electric fleet.
LAMATA previously had about 150 CNG buses, alongside high-capacity and medium-capacity electric buses. The latest addition of 20 CNG buses is expected to expand the fleet, with some potentially deployed on the Ikorodu-TBS corridor, where passenger demand is high.
Beyond environmental considerations, rising diesel prices are also driving the shift towards alternative fuels.
Akinajo said diesel, which sold for about N950 per litre at the beginning of the year, now costs between N1,950 and N2,100 per litre, depending on the source.
The increase has substantially raised operating costs for diesel-powered buses and could increase pressure on transport operators to raise fares.
However, Akinajo said the lower operating costs of CNG and electric buses are helping LAMATA manage the increase without passing the full burden on to commuters. “Regulated public transport fares have not increased, and these buses have helped us achieve that.”
LAMATA already has a CNG operating ecosystem and works with private-sector stakeholders, including Ibile Oil & Gas, to support gas supply. The authority also said private investment in CNG infrastructure is expanding, with additional stations being developed across Lagos.
The shift is consistent with the Lagos State Transport Policy, which targets having 52 per cent of BRT buses powered by clean energy by 2050.
The policy also seeks to reduce car trips to 2 per cent of total trips and increase the use of biodiesel in freight transportation.
Gas and electricity are identified as cleaner fuel options for reducing transport-related emissions, with some existing BRT buses already converted to gas and newer buses expected to use cleaner fuels.
