The Lagos State House of Assembly is poised to revolutionize the state’s transportation and energy sectors with two pivotal bills scaling their second reading during a recent plenary session.
The proposed Lagos State Railway Corporation Bill, 2025, and the IBILE Energy Corporation Bill, 2025, signal a significant legislative push to modernize infrastructure and bolster the state’s economy.
The Lagos State Railway Corporation Bill, 2025, aims to dramatically enhance the status of railway transportation in Lagos. This move comes on the heels of the 1999 Constitution’s fifth alteration (No. 16 Act of 2023), which shifted railway corporations from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, thereby empowering state legislatures to act on such matters.
Majority Leader, Noheem Babatunde Adams, championing the railway bill, highlighted its intent to deliver efficient and reliable transportation services.
“The bill proposes the establishment of a Governing Board to oversee the corporation’s operations, meticulously outlining its powers, roles, and responsibilities. It further details the Corporation’s authority in planning, infrastructure development, funding strategies, and ensuring rigorous auditing for transparency and accountability.
“With South Africa leading in Africa with a 20,926 km railway network and Nigeria currently at 3,798 km, Lagos – as Africa’s second-largest city economy after Cairo – must take the lead in innovative rail transport solutions,” Hon. Adams asserted, emphasizing the bill’s potential to set global best practices for railway corporations.
While supporting the bill’s impactful content, Abiodun Tobun suggested the inclusion of the Commissioner for Transportation on the Board and advocated for board members to be selected across the state’s five geographical divisions.
However, the Speaker, Dr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, offered a critical observation regarding the bill’s nomenclature.
He cautioned against the Corporation designation, noting that global trends lean towards deregulation and privatization of public entities. “With the name ‘Corporation,’ this seems to be heading in a direction the world is moving away from,” he remarked. “Governments are embracing partnerships and privatization to enhance efficiency, and we must consider aligning with that trend.”
The bill has since been committed to the Committee on Transportation for further review.
Meanwhile, the IBILE Energy Corporation Bill, 2025, also passed its second reading. This bill seeks to establish the IBILE Energy Corporation, with the aim of transforming the state’s energy landscape.
Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Sobur Oluwa, described the bill as transformative for the state’s energy sector. “If passed into law, it will attract innovation, investment, and reshape the energy sector of the state,” he stated.
The Speaker committed the IBILE Energy Corporation Bill to the Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, mandating a report within two weeks.
