Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has stated that the state intends to replace 50% of its public transport fleet with electric cars by 2030.
The governor made the statement at the opening ceremony of the three-day 10th Lagos International Climate Change Summit, held at Continental Victoria Island.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, highlighted that the state had successfully inked partnership agreements with a commercial waste consortium to set up a waste-to-energy facility capable of supplying power to 40,000 households and converting 2,250 tonnes of waste per daily.
He said that Lagos had implemented a multi-modal transit BRT system and that these measures, among others, have improved Lagosians' health and safety while also reducing carbon emissions from transportation by around 15%.
He emphasised that in 2015, the international community signed a landmark agreement to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Centirade and that Lagos responded by adopting a second five-year climatic action plan defining targets and methods for emission reduction.
The governor further stated that with the launch of the first Nigerian electric car in Lagos in November 2020, the state intends to replace 50% of its public transport fleet with electric cars by 2030.
“The red and blue line projects recently launched are crucial for reducing the carbon footprint, decreasing vehicular emission, cutting down travel times and promoting a sustainable low carbon future for Lagos,” he said.
Tokunbo Wahab, the state's Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, noted that the solution to climate change is climate resilient development, which combines adaptive measures with actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in ways that provide broader benefits.
