Public transportation is one of the most critical sectors of a fully urbanised city like Lagos. What the city lacks in land mass it compensates with the huge number of residents – such that today, the state is home to over 20 million people of different backgrounds and heritage.
Seeing that people will most likely get stuck in traffic thereby making the state dysfunctional, every administration has tried to implement programmes that alleviates the expected motoring bottlenecks across the state over the years.
For Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he got off to a good start by making transportation number one among the core pillars of his government’s people-centric agenda.
But he did not stop there. In all the projects and policies, the youths were at the core. The creation of jobs were at the centre of implementation. Looking critically, another thing that was of utmost importance was sustainability.
This is why razor sharp attention was paid to how those programmes could help create sustainable jobs for young people in the state.
So far, the report is heartwarming. Because of how dear young people are to the governor, he and his team ensured that within the transportation sector for example, not only are the youths not left behind, they form the fulcrum upon which the various interventions are built.
Let’s look closely at how Sanwo-Olu’s programmes have impacted on jobs for young people in Lagos State over the last few years:
So far, over 1,800 jobs have been generated through the operation of the Lagos Bus Service Limited (LBSL). LBSL (owned by the state) is one of the companies that operate the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system.
In the same vein, more than 1000 direct and indirect jobs have so far been created for the youths through the operation of the Lagos Blue Line rail. The model in metro transportation in West Africa.
Presently, hundreds of young people are being trained for jobs on soon to kick off Red Line Rail service. This is the latest in the series of intra-state railway systems.
Over 1,000 jobs have equally been created through the LagosRide (LAGRIDE) smart taxi scheme. LAGRIDE is a successful car-hailing/pooling service founded by Sanwo-Olu which is currently the best of its kind in the sub-sector if you factor in safety, security, cleanliness and modernity into the metrics.
Meanwhile, 2,866 job opportunities have been created for young drivers who graduated from LBSL accredited training academy. This is huge considering the demand for drivers within the public transportation field.
The impact of these jobs within the sector can best be related by the beneficiaries. It is not just about salaries and allowances, but operating in a sector that has introduced many firsts around the country.
It is only in Lagos for example with its functional multi-modal connection that we have the BRT system, intra-city railway or metro system, smart taxis and even the effective and efficient water transportation system.
The knowledge these young people are gathering by working for the state because of the opportunities Sanwo-Olu has provided cannot be quantified. Indeed Lagos youths are dear to their governor, little wonder the public display of affection and camaraderie that exists between them.
