LAMATA rolls out new drive to protect commuters from sexual harassment

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has unveiled a new campaign aimed at tackling sexual harassment across public transport systems in the state.

The campaign, tagged ‘Soro Soke’ (Speak Up), was launched on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement held at LAMATA’s headquarters in Lagos.

According to LAMATA, the initiative is designed to improve commuter safety and promote a gender-equitable and inclusive transport system, with particular focus on protecting female passengers.

The engagement was organised as part of EMPOWER Project 3, an intervention focused on addressing sexual harassment in informal transport spaces.

LAMATA explained that the EMPOWER initiative is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie).

Speaking at the event, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, commended LAMATA for sustaining the EMPOWER programme over the past five years and stressed the need to break the culture of silence surrounding sexual harassment.

Osiyemi urged victims and witnesses of harassment to speak up and report incidents, noting that silence only enables abuse within the transport system.

In her remarks, LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to sustaining the campaign and strengthening collaboration with relevant agencies to ensure safer transport environments for all commuters.

She added that the initiative would include increased surveillance through the deployment of more Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps personnel at BRT stations and terminals, alongside advocacy efforts encouraging reporting through QR codes placed at transport hubs across the state.