Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the protection of officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), declaring that anyone who assaults traffic officials will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The governor issued the warning during the agency’s 25th anniversary and second Lagos Traffic Summit, held on July 15 at an event that doubled as a high-level policy forum on the future of mobility in the state. The message was delivered on his behalf by Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
“Let’s put it on record that anyone who attacks our officers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Sanwo-Olu said, addressing a hall filled with stakeholders from across the transportation and public safety sectors. “Without LASTMA, all of us can’t function. That is the truth. And as such, we must respect them while they do their job.”
The solemnity of the governor’s message was reinforced with a minute’s silence in honour of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Their names were read out as a mark of remembrance, while the governor pledged continued support for their families and assured current officers of the government’s backing.
Highlighting the summit’s theme, “Enhancing Traffic Efficiency and Safety on Lagos Roads: Challenges, Opportunities and Innovations,” Sanwo-Olu praised LASTMA’s technological transformation. From real-time surveillance to automated number-plate recognition and plans for drone-based traffic monitoring, he described the agency as “a model institution, not just in Nigeria but across West Africa.”
The governor also unveiled a forward-looking 20-year strategic traffic management blueprint, which includes smarter urban mobility systems, expanded intermodal transport infrastructure, and embedded artificial intelligence for predictive traffic analysis, and making Lagos the human capital center of the world in the transport sector by enhancing the innovative competitiveness of the Lagos State University School of Transportation.
Opening the session, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, set the tone for the summit, describing the occasion as ‘a solemn recognition of a quarter-of-a-century-long journey that began with a powerful idea: that Lagos should take control of its traffic density.’”
Giwa detailed how LASTMA, established in July 2001, evolved from a modest team of less than 500 with rudimentary tools to a 4,000-strong workforce managing over 2 million daily vehicle movements across the state’s 9,100-kilometre road network. “Our officers have braved the sun, storms, and strenuous streets, not only to clear bottlenecks but also to save lives during accidents, coordinate disaster response, and facilitate seamless movement of goods and services,” he said.
Giwa further noted the enormous economic implications of traffic mismanagement. With Lagos holding 30% of Nigeria’s vehicular population, and commuters losing four to six hours daily to congestion, the state suffers an estimated N1 trillion in annual productivity losses. “These are no longer just figures. They are about lives, mental health, and economic competitiveness,” he said.
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Giwa called for deeper institutional accountability. “Enforcement agencies must act with fairness. We must earn public trust, not just demand compliance,” he said, adding that with over 4,000 LASTMA officers, the agency helps Lagos recover an estimated N400 billion in productivity value annually.
International transport systems expert and founder of Infotran, Mr. Shridhar Uttara, also addressed the summit, providing a global perspective on traffic technology. Drawing on over 15 years of collaboration with Lagos transport agencies, Mr. Uttara presented a roadmap for integrating AI, adaptive signal systems, and unified transport platforms to enhance mobility and reduce congestion.
Uttara proposed body cameras for LASTMA officials to deter violence and ensure transparency, while also urging Lagos to adopt Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms that unify ferry, road, and rail transport under a single digital infrastructure. “You cannot build a 21st-century city on 20th-century transportation systems,” he warned.