Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) has partnered the Lagos State Government to roll out electric mass transit buses in its efforts to support charging infrastructure and service centers (EV Infrastructure Ecosystem).
Oando had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the agency tasked with planning, implementing, regulating and engaging franchises for sustainable integrated public transportation system on April 28 2022 to revolutionise public mass transit in the state.
The partnership will form part of several interventions, such as the Lagos Blue and Red Rail, expected to set the tone for the gradual decarbonisation of the state’s road transportation sector. Commenting on the MoU, Managing Director of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, said: “Oando Clean Energy approached us with a comprehensive solution that went beyond electric mass transit buses to include supporting infrastructure and this was key for us, as the full remit of an EV support ecosystem is the only way to achieve success.
“This initiative will not only accelerate the state government’s transportation agenda, but also positively impact the health of Lagos residents and the entire environment. “The Oando brand comes with know-how and experience and we are relying on this to successfully move from the signing of the MoU to actual implementation that will in the medium to long-term benefit over 22 million Lagos commuters. We look forward to a robust and fruitful partnership.”
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He said the initiative reinforces the importance of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in enabling the continent to actualise its industrialisation goals, adding that across Africa, PPP models have become increasingly critical as both funding and operational mechanism for socio-economic infrastructure.
“This is not the first time Oando has partnered with the state government, neither is it the first time it has 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 and Power (OGP), now rebranded as Axxela, any pioneered private sector gas pipeline development in 2007 and championed the development of Independent Power Plants (IPPs) including the Akute and Alausa IPPs powering the Lagos Water Cooperation and the Lagos State Secretariat,” he stated.
Commenting on the launch, Chairman of Oando Clean Energy, Adewale Tinubu, said the company was born out of a need to create the best energy mix to propel Nigeria and Africa to realise their full potential.
Tinubu said the company had always championed PPPs as fundamental to Nigeria’s industrialisation, adding that through the signing of the MoU, the company would revolutionise the landscape of mobility by pioneering e-mobility in Lagos State. He said the investments in more sustainable transport infrastructure solutions were capable of delivering environmental and socio-economic benefits beyond reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
He noted that in the medium to long-term, it would unlock job opportunities, promote knowledge transfer and kick start Lagos State and hopefully other states of the country to leapfrog in mass transit infrastructure.
Also, the state Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Fred Oladeyinde, said with the understanding that transportation was a key emitter of greenhouse gases in Nigeria, the state developed a strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 50 per 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 among others. Using electricity to power mass transit is a step in the right direction and from there we will gradually transit to private cars.
“This is just the beginning, there is still a lot more to come on stream. I commend LAMATA and Oando on the signing of the MoU and both parties can be rest assured that they have my full backing to ensure the success of the initiative,” he added.
