The initiative, according to the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, is aimed at improving efficiency in licence processing, strengthening traffic regulation and enhancing road safety across the state.
Speaking on Monday during the 2026 annual ministerial press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, as part of activities marking the second-term seventh anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, Osiyemi disclosed that the new licensing system would become operational “within the next few weeks.”
Rather than replacing the existing federal driver’s licence, the commissioner explained that the Lagos-issued licence would run simultaneously with the current national system under a joint arrangement between state and federal authorities.
According to him, motorists would be free to choose between obtaining the federal licence or the Lagos State version once the programme officially begins.
Osiyemi said the development forms part of the state government’s broader transportation reform strategy focused on reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, accelerating service delivery and improving compliance among road users.
He noted that the new system is expected to address delays that motorists often encounter during licence processing while also supporting digital monitoring and enforcement initiatives already being deployed across Lagos roads.
“The initiative is designed to improve efficiency, reduce delays associated with the current licensing process and promote sanity and safety on Lagos roads,” the commissioner stated.
Beyond driver licensing, the Lagos State Government also highlighted progress made in enforcing vehicle safety regulations and adopting intelligent traffic management systems.
Osiyemi revealed that the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service had intensified implementation of the “No Vehicle Inspection, No Roadworthiness Certificate” policy through technology-driven enforcement operations aimed at removing defective and unsafe vehicles from the roads.
He disclosed that during the review period, the state issued a total of 1,114,080 roadworthiness certificates, a figure he said reflects growing compliance with vehicle safety standards among motorists.
The commissioner further stated that Lagos recorded significant gains in digital traffic enforcement through the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera system, which captured 737,340 traffic violations across the state.
According to him, the figures demonstrate Lagos State’s increasing reliance on smart traffic technology and digital surveillance systems to improve road management and enforcement.
Osiyemi also revealed that in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, the state processed 27,067 fresh driver’s licence applications and completed 29,810 licence renewals within the period under review.
The combined figure brought the total number of processed driver’s licences to 56,876, while an additional 1,158 International Driver’s Permits were successfully issued.
Transportation analysts say the planned rollout of a Lagos State driver’s licence could mark a significant shift in how transportation administration is handled in Nigeria’s commercial capital, especially as the state continues to embrace digital systems for traffic management, vehicle monitoring and regulatory enforcement.
With the launch expected in the coming weeks, many motorists are now watching closely to see how the dual-licensing arrangement between Lagos State and federal authorities will operate in practice.