The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), led by Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, has redefined traffic management to safeguard the state’s economy.

The agency’s Public Affairs Director, Mr Taofiq Adebayo, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

Adebayo said LASTMA boosts productivity by reducing gridlock, saving man-hours, and cutting logistics costs, while also curbing impostors and illegal enforcers.

He added that under Bakare-Oki’s leadership, the agency had entered a new era of modernisation, operational efficiency, and civic legitimacy.

“The evolution of LASTMA under Bakare-Oki is far more than a chronicle of administrative reform; it is a testament to the power of leadership in redefining institutional purpose.

“Traffic management, under his vision, is no longer merely about roads and vehicles—it is about people, commerce, safety, and the preservation of the lifeblood of Lagos’ economy,” he said.

He added that as Lagos marched resolutely toward its destiny as Africa’s model megacity, the authority’s contributions under Bakare-Oki’s leadership stood as a solemn assurance.

“Discipline shall remain the guardian of prosperity, and order shall continue to be the bedrock of development,” he said.

Adebayo said that cognisant of the monumental responsibility of the authority, the recalibration of the agency’s internal ethos was being sought.

He added that this led to the shifting of LASTMA from an enforcement-dominated identity to a service-oriented institution defined by professionalism, empathy, and integrity.

He said that Bakare-Oki’s administration had been distinguished by a resolute embrace of innovation, technology, and structural upgrade commensurate with the complexities of a megacity of over twenty million inhabitants.

“Recognising that manual enforcement alone is inadequate, he has championed the integration of intelligent traffic systems, digital monitoring mechanisms, and evidence-driven interventions.

“Among the most groundbreaking strides is the inauguration of the LASTMA Toll-Free Hotline (0800-005-27862)—a direct lifeline for Lagos residents to report infractions, seek assistance, and access real-time traffic information,” he said.

Adebayo said that progress under Bakare-Oki was marked by expanded stakeholder collaboration and enhanced advocacy, adding that this strengthened enforcement synergy across the state.

He said that at the community level, LASTMA had invigorated the Lagos State School Traffic Safety Advocacy Programme, transformed it into a formidable channel for nurturing traffic consciousness among the younger generation.

“In the restless arteries of Lagos—the commercial fulcrum of Nigeria and the pulsating heartbeat of West Africa—mobility is not a mere convenience but the very essence of survival, commerce, and urban productivity.

“Within this sprawling megacity, traffic has long been both a challenge and a determinant of destiny.

“It was against this backdrop that LASTMA was conceived in the year 2000 to serve as custodian of road order and arbiter of discipline.

“ Yet, it is under the visionary and reformist stewardship of Bakare-Oki, that the authority has grown to many heights,” he said.