Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who leads government in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital in the country’s southwest, has approved plans to redevelop the Obalende Bus Stop into a modern transport hub.
The project is expected to upgrade the Obalende loop, the space under the bridge, and the adjoining lay-by, with the aim of improving traffic flow and making bus operations more organised in one of Lagos’ busiest corridors.
Okay News reports that the redevelopment will be fully funded by MTN, a major telecommunications company operating across Africa, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
In a statement, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the state agency responsible for environmental protection and sanitation, said work on the site will begin soon.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the plan includes regulated bus operations and clear, well-labelled location signage to help commuters navigate the area more easily.
He said the hub, to be called the Y’ELLO Bus Park, will include solar panels to support energy efficiency and reduce emissions linked to power use.
Wahab added that the facility will also have a recyclables drop-off station to encourage better waste handling and recycling in the area.
He said tree planting is part of the design to improve air quality and strengthen the look and feel of the environment.
The commissioner said the project will also provide dedicated road camps for Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Sweepers, as well as spaces for security agencies, including the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (Kick Against Indiscipline) [KAI] and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, which support environmental enforcement and community security within the state.
Other planned features include food and beverage kiosks for passengers, ticketing booths, and public toilets, with the goal of discouraging open defecation and improving hygiene around the transport corridor.
Wahab said the project is designed to be community-centred, with a focus on public health, safety, security, and the overall appearance of Obalende, and he linked these improvements to efforts to reduce crime in the area.
He also said the new hub is expected to help protect the McGregor Canal, a drainage channel in Lagos that officials say often becomes heavily silted and blocked, which then requires repeated clean-up efforts by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
The commissioner described the current Obalende Bus Stop area as one of the busiest transport points in Lagos, serving as a key gateway linking Ikoyi, an affluent district on Lagos Island, and Victoria Island, a major business and residential district, while also providing access to the Lagos Mainland through the Third Mainland Bridge, a critical route that connects Lagos Island to the mainland.
He said rapid urbanisation, population growth, and informal economic activities have changed the character of the area over time, with problems including illegal trading, poor waste practices, unauthorised use of space by non-state actors, limited greening and landscaping, open defecation, shanties and illegal structures, and the presence of vagrants.
The Lagos State Government said Governor Sanwo-Olu visited the site on Sunday, 18 February 2024, and raised concerns that conditions around the bus stop showed a clear shift away from the state’s megacity goals.
Officials said the deteriorating appearance of the area had been affecting security, public health, ease of movement, and overall liveability, especially because Obalende connects to strategic business districts in Lagos.
Following the governor’s visit, the government said it carried out several interventions to restore order, including enforcement and clean-up operations in December 2025 and January 2026 by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
