By Ebenezer Mabinuola
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has earned international recognition at the 2025 UITP Awards in Hamburg, Germany, for its innovative efforts to improve women’s mobility in Lagos.
LAMATA was named a finalist for its EMPOWER–SHE CAN project, a gender-focused initiative designed to enhance safety, access, and inclusiveness for women in the city’s public transport system. The award was presented during the global summit of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), a key platform for sustainable urban mobility worldwide.
LAMATA Managing Director, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, received the honour on behalf of the agency and its project partners. The recognition highlights LAMATA’s ongoing commitment to building a transport system that is not only efficient but also responsive to the needs of women and other vulnerable groups.
The EMPOWER–SHE CAN initiative, supported by SLR Consulting, DT-Global, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s High Volume Transport (HVT) programme, aims to empower female commuters and address gender-specific challenges in urban mobility.
LAMATA’s achievement stands as a model for inclusive transport development globally, with the UITP accolade reaffirming Lagos’s place in the global movement for equitable and sustainable public transport systems.
