IBM assists Lagos State to design digital transportation system

Expert's team from the International Business Machines (IBM) has announced the completion of a month-long pro-bono consulting assignment to reposition the Mega City transport system of Lagos State.

The team which presented its recommendations at the weekend to the government says its role is to ensure a more efficient flow of traffic in the city of Lagos, the Africa's most populous city, with an estimated 20 million citizens.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that the team worked with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, the agency responsible for developing and implementing the state’s transportation blueprint, and the Lagos State Ministries of Transportation, Works & Infrastructure, Science & Technology, the IBM team of experts proposed technology-driven strategies to make travel easier.

The recommendations, DigitalSENSE Business News reliably gathered included better coordination between agencies responsible for traffic management, police, fire and medical care.

Additionally, the more efficient decison-making would be based on data gathering and analysis from a variety of sources such as cell phones, call centers, cameras, and global positioning systems devices.

Accurate and up-to-date information, the team said, would assist the agencies to better manage traffic flow, just as it would also enable them to wirelessly provide travelers with information such as road and traffic conditions, as well as bus, boat and toll schedules.

IBM’s Country Manager for West Africa, Mr. Taiwo Otiti, said that Lagos will continue to be a significant element of Africa’s economic success story, especially with an intelligent, interconnected logistics and transportation management system which is a crucial must-have for any modern city, and this engagement with IBM’s Executive Service Corps team will further enhance the state’s ability to deploy technology-driven solutions in a timely and strategic manner.

Kayode Opeifa, Lagos State commissioner for transport said, IBM set of recommendations address key transportation challenges and clearly enhance the ongoing efforts to fix the myriad of issues faced by the fast developing state.

Located in West Africa’s rain forest belt, 20 per cent of Lagos' geographical area is taken up by water, but most commuter travel in the state by road.

City authorities predict a 350 per cent growth in the number of vehicles in the state over the next 25 years, with the population doubling to 40 million by 2030, with the potential of both rail and water transport remaining largely untapped.

Correspondent/DigitalSENSE Business News 
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