Lagos to commercialise biogas production

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The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a technical committee to drive commercial biogas and biomethane production across the state, in a fresh push to reduce dependence on imported fuel and accelerate the transition to cleaner, sustainable energy solutions.

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The state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, confirmed the committee’s inauguration while speaking at a ministerial press briefing in Lagos on Monday.

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Osiyemi said it comprised representatives from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies brought together to ensure coordinated implementation.

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He said feasibility studies had shown that biogas and biomethane could serve as viable alternatives to conventional diesel, pointing to the sheer volume of organic waste the state generates daily as a ready feedstock for local production.

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“Lagos generates about 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, with 45 per cent organic content. This organic waste can be converted into biomethane fuel locally at significantly lower production costs,” he stated.

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He added that the newly established committee would accelerate the journey towards full commercial-scale production across the state.

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The biogas initiative is part of a broader clean energy and sustainable transport agenda that the Lagos State Government has been quietly building over the past few years.

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Osiyemi highlighted a string of milestones recorded under the programme, including the conversion of 152 First and Last Mile buses from petrol-powered systems to cleaner Compressed Natural Gas engines, and the gradual replacement of diesel-powered bus operations with electricity, biogas and CNG alternatives.

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He revealed that CNG buses introduced since 2022 had transported more than 600,000 passengers statewide, while reducing operational fuel costs by nearly 50 per cent.

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On electric mobility, Osiyemi said two electric buses deployed on Bus Rapid Transit corridors had completed a successful 90-day pilot operation, moving over 150,000 passengers while preventing roughly 200,000 kilogrammes of carbon emissions.

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The commissioner also disclosed that the state had introduced 2,000 CNG-powered trucks under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s haulage reform programme, implemented through the transport logistics office in partnership with United Bank for Africa.

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“The programme is replacing old, unsafe trucks linked with road accidents across the state. It is also promoting safer and cleaner haulage operations within Lagos,” Osiyemi said.

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He further noted progress on the state’s seven-line electric rail network, designed to support mass urban mobility, and highlighted the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority’s sustainability conference held under the theme, “Harnessing Clean Urban Transport Innovation and Investment in Africa,” which brought together African cities, development partners and transport stakeholders to advance cleaner transport systems.

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Osiyemi also mentioned initiatives such as the E1 Sport Series and EcoMove Lagos, both designed to encourage innovation in water transportation and smarter mobility solutions, adding that more electric and CNG-powered vehicles were entering the e-hailing transport sector, a development he described as reflecting growing private-sector confidence in cleaner transportation systems.

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He said all ongoing reforms align with the state government’s THEMES+ development agenda, which prioritises eco-friendly transport, reduced emissions, better traffic management and integrated multimodal connectivity.

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