There are millions of informal motorcycle and transport operators in Nigeria. Many of them are unlicensed, have no identity data and are often used as agents for anonymous crimes. This poses serious security and safety concerns to the general public. However, informal motorcycle operators provide essential transportation services to millions of Nigerians. It is therefore important to properly organize this industry for the safety of citizens and to create decent working conditions for the operators.

1. EKITI STATE PARTNERS WITH MAX.NG TO TRANSFORM OKADA INDUSTRY WITH
METROGOV
Ekiti State, Nigeria.
August 24, 2020:
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There are millions of informal motorcycle and transport operators in Nigeria. Many
of them are unlicensed, have no identity data and are often used as agents for
anonymous crimes. This poses serious security and safety concerns to the general
public. However, informal motorcycle operators provide essential transportation
services to millions of Nigerians. It is therefore important to properly organize this
industry for the safety of citizens and to create decent working conditions for the
operators.
The Ekiti State Government is desirous of tackling this security and safety challenge
and has entered into a partnership with Metro Africa Xpress (MAX), a leading
mobility and financial services platform focused on Nigeria and West Africa, to
transform informal motorcycle transportation (also called “Okada”) in the state. The
State has partnered with MAX to deploy MetroGov, a next-generation mobility
platform that provides identity management technology and uses transport data to
provide financial services to transport operators.
Ekiti State is taking the lead in digitizing informal transportation. The State has an
estimated population of 3 million people and over 100,000 motorcycle and tricycle
operators across the state. As part of the recently launched Ekiti State Mobility
Transformation Project (ESMOT), the state aims to formalise the transportation
industry while delivering financial inclusion, insurance, vehicle financing and other
essential support services to transport operators. By deploying MetroGov, the
government wants to accelerate its transformation plan for the transport industry.
The MetroGov platform provides digital identities for drivers and a platform for
vehicle registration and tracking. Operators and riders registered on the platform
would have the opportunity to access vehicle financing and insurance. The platform
would also promote increased transparency with revenue generated from the sector.
The data captured would assist the Government in the development of effective
responses, interventions and policies to regulate and optimize the Ekiti State
transport industry.
Speaking at the IRS Office in Ekiti State, the Chairman of the Ekiti State Internal
Revenue Service Mr. Eleazar Olumuyiwa Ogunmilade stated that “we have partnered
with MAX, a reputable platform that has demonstrated its track record by operating

2. safely across four states in Nigeria. We are excited about this partnership. Apart from
improving transparency in revenue collection in the industry, the project will provide
the Government with more actionable intelligence that will be extremely helpful in
policy formulation for the industry at large”.
“We have engaged with relevant authorities and interest groups,” said Ogunmilade.
“They have expressed their commitment to the new system as they agree this would
deliver improved services to both transport operators and commuters.”
Speaking at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the Special Adviser to the Governor
on Investment, Trade and Innovation, Mr Akintunde Oyebode, indicated that the
initiative was developed to address the issues of safety, security and operator
identification in the State. He added that ESMOT would ensure the proper
registration and licensing of all transport operators. Through the digitisation of the
sector and the introduction of mobile-enabled payment systems, this initiative would
deliver greatly improved transportation services to residents of Ekiti State.
As part of the initiative, the Ekiti State Government will require all motorcycle
operators within the state to undergo onboarding within the stipulated and
approved time-frame.
Speaking on the partnership, Adetayo Bamiduro, CEO of MAX, said this initiative is at
the core of MAX’s mission to build technology and financing infrastructure to make
mobility safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable for all Nigerians. Bamiduro said:
“Our goal in developing the MetroGov platform is to volunteer and offer our
expertise to Regulators, Governments, Public Sector partners and non-profit
organizations in delivering safer transportation services to commuters. MAX.ng has
built strong capabilities in transport operations, vehicle financing, ride-hailing and
electric mobility for the benefit of drivers, enterprises, and commuters. We are
extremely excited and honoured by the opportunity to support the Ekiti State
Government in its efforts to provide safer and more resilient transportation services
to its people.”
MAX.ng and the Ekiti State government will work together to introduce various
safety initiatives to transform the industry, such as traffic laws, speed limits, helmet
usage, protective equipment to commuters. They will also offer training programs to
drivers.
The deployment of MetroGov is another win for Ekiti State which is quickly
demonstrating an important resolve towards supporting businesses and innovation.
Recently, the state government took the lead in crashing Right of Way tax to N145
from N4,500 per meter for telecom companies laying fibre optics cables, boosting
the chances of broadband penetration in the state. At least four other states have
since joined Ekiti in crashing their Right of Way tax.

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