The 2025 International Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUMConference25) kicked off today in Lagos with a powerful declaration from the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, that clean transport is an urgent “prerequisite for competitiveness and public health, not a luxury.” He branded the conference not merely as an event, but as a “foundational movement for continental renaissance” driven by sustainable mobility.

Addressing delegates from over 13 African cities and various agencies, Governor Sanwo-Olu highlighted that the rapid urbanization challenging every African city is also the continent’s greatest opportunity to lead the global clean-transport revolution.
He pointed to successful projects, such as Dakar’s Electric Bus Rapid Transit and Kigali’s cycling lanes, as evidence of existing ingenuity.
The ultimate goal, he stated, is to create an African Platform for Sustainable Mobility to harmonize standards, pool resources, and lobby for fair financing.

Echoing this focus on concrete results, the Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Akinajo, emphasized that the conference was designed to move beyond policy dialogue into “concrete action” and investment.
She outlined LAMATA’s commitment to scaling up clean technologies, including CNG and electric buses, and showcasing successful African transport projects to potential investors.
She stressed that the collective responsibility of participants is to forge a future defined by efficiency, equity, and sustainability, championing initiatives like SHE-CAN to ensure transport is safe and equitable for all.

The high-level attendance underscored the importance of the gathering, with dignitaries present including the Chairman Transport Committee at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Temitope Adewale, Commissioner for Transport, Ogun State, Hon. Gbenga Dairo; Commissioner for Transport, Lagos, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Olawale Musa, Transport, GM LÄSPARK, Adetoun Ibilola, and GM LASPA, Mrs. Adebisi Adelabu.
The three-day conference will continue with technical sessions focused on investment and innovation in clean urban transport.