Lagos to Introduce State Driver’s Licence as Part of Transport Overhaul

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to issue its own driver’s licence, a move aimed at streamlining transportation management, improving road safety, and reducing processing delays, the Commissioner for Transportation revealed on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 2025 ministerial briefing in Ikeja, Oluwaseun Osiyemi said the proposed state-owned licence would be developed in collaboration with the Federal Government, offering motorists a choice between the existing federal driver’s licence and the new Lagos State option.

“The initiative is designed to enhance traffic sanity, strengthen road safety measures, and cut down on the delays motorists currently face when obtaining licences,” Osiyemi said.

According to the commissioner, Lagos authorities have already processed more than 56,000 driver’s licences and over 1,100 international driving permits during the period under review.

Osiyemi also provided an update on the state’s rail expansion efforts, confirming that commercial operations on the second phase of the Blue Line Rail project;  extending from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

The announcement forms part of a broader push by the state government to reform transport systems in Africa’s largest megacity, where traffic congestion and licensing bottlenecks have long posed challenges for millions of residents.