The Lagos State Government has stopped admitting new diesel-powered buses into its regulated public transport system, directing operators to adopt compressed natural gas (CNG) or electric vehicles as the state gradually moves away from diesel-powered transport.

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abimbola Akinajo, disclosed the policy while speaking during the handover of 20 additional high-capacity CNG buses to the authority under the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles. She said the policy took effect at the beginning of 2026.

Akinajo said operators bringing new buses into the regulated transport network would no longer be allowed to introduce diesel-powered vehicles. According to her, LAMATA would work with CNG and electric buses as part of a gradual transition towards cleaner public transportation. However, the policy does not amount to an immediate ban on all existing diesel buses operating in Lagos. Existing vehicles are expected to be replaced progressively.

The latest development comes as Lagos expands its cleaner-energy bus fleet. LAMATA had about 150 CNG buses before receiving the additional 20 vehicles, alongside high- and medium-capacity electric buses. Some of the new CNG buses could be deployed on the Ikorodu–Tafawa Balewa Square corridor, where passenger demand is considered high.

Rising diesel prices are also putting pressure on transport operators and strengthening the economic case for the transition. Akinajo said diesel, which sold for about ₦950 per litre at the beginning of 2026, had risen to between ₦1,950 and ₦2,100 per litre, depending on the source. She said the lower operating costs of CNG and electric buses were helping the regulated transport system absorb some of the increased fuel burden without raising fares.

The transition is part of a broader effort to modernise Lagos’ public transport system and reduce emissions. LAMATA and its partners have also been working on a national clean-energy bus implementation framework covering CNG and electric buses, while Lagos continues efforts to expand supporting infrastructure for cleaner public transportation.

For commuters, the immediate implication is that newly introduced buses within Lagos’ regulated transport network are increasingly likely to run on CNG or electricity rather than diesel. The long-term direction is even more significant, as the state works towards progressively replacing older diesel vehicles and building a cleaner, more efficient public transport system.