By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Lagos State Government has announced plans to introduce a state-owned driver’s licence in partnership with the Federal Government as part of efforts to improve road safety and traffic management across the state.
Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this during the 2025 annual ministerial briefing held at Alausa, Ikeja.
According to him, motorists will have the option of obtaining either the existing federal driver’s licence or the proposed Lagos State driver’s licence once the initiative takes off.
Osiyemi explained that the move is aimed at promoting sanity and safety on Lagos roads while also addressing delays associated with the current licensing process.
He said the new arrangement would ensure faster processing and prompt issuance of licences for motorists.
The commissioner revealed that within the review period, a total of 56,876 driver’s licences were processed in collaboration with the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency and the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The figure, according to him, includes 27,067 fresh applications and 29,810 renewals, while 1,158 international driver permits were also processed during the period.
Speaking on rail transportation, Osiyemi said the first phase of the Lagos Blue Line rail project recorded about 3.5 million passengers in 2025.
He added that the second phase of the Blue Line extension from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko would be completed and ready for full commercial operation in the first quarter of 2027.
On the Red Line rail project, the commissioner disclosed that the state government had procured 24 new train coaches arranged into three sets of eight-coach trains to boost operations and improve passenger movement.
Osiyemi also said the state had intensified work on the proposed 68-kilometre Green Line Rail project expected to connect Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone through Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah and Sangotedo.
