Five years after flames engulfed Oyingbo BRT terminal, Lagos commuters are still feeling the burn — and according to the state government, replacing those buses now costs more than triple what it used to.

So, why is getting a BRT in Lagos still such a hustle?

If you’ve stood in that long queue at Ikeja, Oshodi or CMS lately, you’re not alone. The Lagos State Government has finally come out to explain why it hasn’t been able to replace all the BRT buses that went up in smoke during #EndSARS. Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat was pretty blunt about it.

According to cbinews.tv, Hamzat revealed that when the state first bought those buses, they cost about N80 million each. Today? That same bus will set you back a staggering N280 million.

“During #EndSARS, if you recall, 200 of those buses were burnt. We bought those buses at that time for 80 million per bus. Now, it’s about 280 million per one,” Hamzat said.

That’s a 250% jump, and it tells a much bigger story about Nigeria’s economy.

Let’s add some context

Remember October 2020? What started as a youth-led protest against police brutality and the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) quickly spiralled after the Lekki Toll Gate shooting on October 20th. In the days that followed, public infrastructure across Lagos — Africa’s most populous city — was targeted. The Oyingbo BRT terminus, then a brand new facility, was one of the worst hit.

Now, here’s where the numbers get a bit messy. The Deputy Governor is now quoting 200 buses. But back in April 2021, the then Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, gave a very different official figure. He said 80 BRT vehicles were destroyed — 23 big buses burnt at Ojodu and 57 medium-sized buses at Oyingbo. At the time, those 80 buses were valued at N3.9 billion because the big buses cost around $200,000 each and the medium ones about $100,000 each.

Whether it’s 80 or 200, the impact has been massive. Primero, the private operator, said it lost over N100 million in just six days during the protests.

And why has the price exploded? It’s not just inflation. In 2020, the naira was trading at roughly N380 to a dollar. Today it’s hovering around N1,500+. Since BRT buses are fully imported, that exchange rate collapse, plus global shipping costs and import duties, has sent the replacement cost through the roof.

Hamzat also admitted the state was already on a ticking clock. BRT was launched way back in March 2008 under Babatunde Fashola — the first of its kind in Africa — and many of the buses were already 7 or 8 years old and due to be retired anyway.

“If we release those 200 buses into the state... we know we have anticipated that, okay, some of these buses are seven-year-old, eight-year-old, and we must take them out of circulation. Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to replace all the 200, and that’s what we are seeing today,” he said.

So, what’s the fix?

Hamzat says the government doesn’t want to be a bus manager anymore. The plan, cbinews.tv reports, is to lean heavily on the private sector.

“Government should not be in the business of managing buses... But if it’s private, they are able to do it. They are nimble, they are faster,” he said.

The model would be private companies bring in the buses, and the state subsidises fares to keep it affordable, while also pushing its other transport bets — the Blue Line rail and expanded ferry services.

“We are bringing in ferries. Our train is working better. So, by the time we put all this together, then, you know, transportation will be better for everybody in Lagos,” Hamzat added.

In short, those burnt buses haven’t just left a gap on the road — they’ve exposed just how expensive it is to rebuild Lagos transport in today’s economy.

Source: cbinews.tv

#LagosBRT #EndSARS #LagosTraffic #ObafemiHamzat #LagosTransport #BRTBus #NigeriaNews #LagosNews #PublicTransport #cbinews