The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has begun phasing out diesel-powered buses from the state’s regulated public transport system, requiring operators introducing new buses to use compressed natural gas (CNG) or electric vehicles (EVs).
The policy, which took effect at the beginning of 2026, means new diesel buses will no longer be accepted into the regulated transport system, while existing diesel-powered buses will be progressively replaced with cleaner alternatives.
LAMATA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abimbola Akinajo, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the handover of 20 additional high-capacity CNG buses under the Presidential Initiative on CNG and EV.
“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,” Akinajo said.
“We will only work with CNG or EV buses, and this has been the policy since the beginning of the year.”
According to her, the long-term objective is for buses operating within Lagos’ regulated public transport system to transition to CNG or electricity, with the system eventually expected to move fully to electric buses.
Before the latest handover, LAMATA had about 150 CNG buses in its fleet, alongside high- and medium-capacity electric buses. The additional 20 CNG buses will expand the authority’s existing fleet, with some potentially deployed on the Ikorodu-TBS corridor, where passenger demand is high.
Rising Diesel Prices Behind Decision
Akinajo said the transition is also helping operators manage rising transportation costs as diesel prices have increased sharply.
She 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, she said, has significantly raised the operating costs of diesel-powered buses and could put pressure on transport operators to increase fares.
“Regulated public transport fares have not increased, and these buses have helped us achieve that,” Akinajo said.
“The lower operating costs of CNG and electric buses allow us to manage the higher fuel costs without passing the full increase on to commuters.”
LAMATA already operates a CNG supply ecosystem and works with private-sector stakeholders, including Ibile Oil & Gas, to support its growing CNG fleet.
Akinajo added that private investment in CNG infrastructure was expanding across Lagos, with additional refuelling stations being developed to support the transition.
The Lagos State Transport Policy targets having 52% of buses in the Bus Rapid Transit system powered by clean energy by 2050.
The policy also seeks to reduce car trips to 2% of total trips and increase the use of biodiesel in freight vehicles.
Some BRT buses have already begun conversion to gas, while new buses acquired by Lagos Bus Services Limited and private operators are expected to be gas-powered.
