Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Rotimi Odunaike, has called for a fundamental restructuring of the state’s road transportation system, arguing that government must distinguish between criminal elements and legitimate workers within the transport sector.
Odunaike made the call during an Independence Day appearance on MiTV’s Breakfast Express Show, where he advocated the professionalisation, regulation and digitisation of the road transport ecosystem as part of efforts to address the long-running “agbero” challenge in Lagos.
He said while some individuals involved in the sector may engage in criminal activities and should face prosecution, others earn legitimate livelihoods as drivers, conductors, motor park attendants and traders.
“Some of those agberos that we’re talking about are also human beings. There are criminal elements amongst them that we need to prosecute… Amongst the others are drivers, conductors, motor park attendants, traders, and things like that,” he said.
According to Odunaike, the government should take greater responsibility for the management and regulation of motor parks, while transport unions should focus on professional development and the welfare of transport workers.
He proposed that organisations such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) should concentrate on driver training, professionalism, cooperatives and worker protection rather than levy collection and the management of motor parks.
“NURTW, RTEAN should focus on driver professionalism, training, cooperatives… everything around the protection of the driver. Not focused on levy collection, managing parks and so on,” he said.
Odunaike also advocated the digitisation of the sector, arguing that technology, clearer institutional responsibilities and private-sector participation could help reduce abuses and improve accountability.
“If we separate the two and make everything digitised, and bring professionalism and dignity to transportation and bring the private sector to support, I believe things will get better,” he said.
He said the proposal formed part of his broader vision for addressing Lagos’ transportation challenges as an issue of mobility, dignity and quality of life rather than merely traffic management.
Earlier in the interview, Odunaike described his proposed mobility framework as “connected mobility”, combining intermodal and interconnected transport systems to make movement across Lagos more efficient and dignified.
He said an improved public transport system should make it easier for residents to access jobs, schools, healthcare and other essential services.
The LP candidate also linked effective transportation reform to the quality of leadership overseeing public institutions.
He said his proposed governance model would assess manifesto commitments through publicly defined key performance indicators and scorecards, while promoting a civil service that is transparent, responsive and empathetic towards citizens.
“Let it be transparent. Let them encounter a civil service that is responsive to them, responsive to their needs, empathetic with them,” he added.
Odunaike said the guiding principle of his governance agenda was that public institutions should exist to serve citizens rather than make them feel they were at the mercy of government officials.
