Nigerian activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore has promised to introduce drone taxis and expand water transportation to ease traffic congestion in Lagos if Nigerians elect him president in 2027.
Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, outlined his transportation plans during an interview, proposing a waterway linking the Lagos Lagoon to Epe to provide commuters with an alternative to congested roads.
Sowore said the project would allow residents to travel directly from the lagoon to Epe without spending hours in traffic. He compared the proposal to Amsterdam, where waterways serve as important transportation routes.
He also criticised Lagos’ drainage infrastructure, arguing that improved waterways and the construction of dikes could help tackle flooding in the state.
Beyond water transportation, Sowore said his administration would encourage companies developing drone taxis to test their technology in Nigeria, expressing confidence that the country could adopt the innovation within his first four years in office.
He explained that the electric aircraft could transport passengers to destinations such as Lekki without requiring conventional airports or dedicated helicopter landing facilities.
Sowore also argued that drone taxis could improve passenger safety through collision-avoidance technology, making it more difficult for kidnappers to target travellers.
To support his argument, he recalled how soldiers struggled to intercept commercial drones monitoring elections in 2019, highlighting the technology’s potential applications.
He further said Nigeria could become a major hub for drone taxi manufacturing and transportation, adding that the aircraft would use batteries as part of a broader transition towards green energy.
Projecting the technology’s future potential, Sowore said drone taxis could transport about 200,000 workers to their workplaces in Abuja by 2030 or 2035.
When the interviewer questioned the timeline, noting that a president elected in 2027 would complete a first term in 2031, Sowore maintained that infrastructure projects should serve the country beyond the administrations that initiate them.
However, the proposed timeline and the feasibility of introducing drone taxis on such a scale would depend on technological development, regulatory approval and supporting infrastructure.
By Musekir Faisat Omolara
