Eight Lagosians have been empowered with <a href="https://cigmotors.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">LagRide</a> vehicles and onboarded as Captains onto the platform. This was disclosed in a statement seen by Technext. Per the statement, the vehicle empowerment drive was funded by the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are.
The drivers are part of the first cohort of a wider empowerment drive whose beneficiaries are drawn from Lagos Island.
See also: <a href="https://technext24.com/news/inside-lagride-drivers-academy-captains/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Inside the Lagride Academy, where drivers become captains 2 weeks and ₦50,000 later</a>
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are, pointed out that his agency provided the financial intervention for the eight beneficiaries so that they won’t be required to pay the initial capital required to be onboarded to the system. The overall plan is to provide them with good employment while supporting transport innovation in the state.
“Lagos is a megacity. My agency runs the largest gaming and fintech conference on the continent every year, and when those delegates arrive, we do not want them driven around in poor vehicles. This is also employment for our own people, and we have a great deal of unemployment and underemployment in this country. These Captains are from Lagos Island Local Government, and they can now take care of their own families. Let me be clear about one thing. This is not a project. It is a programme, and it continues,” he said.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image.jpeg" alt="8 Lagosians empowered with LagRide vehicles funded by Lagos Lottery Chief, Bashir Are">
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 From left to right: Hon. Dr Princess Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon, the member representing Lagos Island Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly; Chief Diana Chen, Chairman, Lagride and Mr Bashir Are, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority.&nbsp;
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<h2 id="how-the-beneficiaries-are-selected-for-the-lagride-programme" class="wp-block-heading">How the beneficiaries are selected for the LagRide programme</h2>
The beneficiaries were selected through a competitive interview and assessment process, entered training at the LagRide Drivers Academy, and were formally onboarded and allocated vehicles at a handover ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. Candidates from the intake who have not yet met the required standard will be re-coursed and considered for a subsequent cohort. Mr Are funded both the Academy training and the vehicle costs, removing the two barriers that most frequently prevent qualified drivers from entering formal, structured employment in the mobility sector.
Each beneficiary now operates a LagRide vehicle under the platform’s Drive To Own programme, which allows a Captain to earn daily income while working towards full ownership of the vehicle at the end of the agreed payment term. LagRide is targeting the deployment of 3,500 vehicles under Drive To Own, supported by different LagRide partner programmes
Speaking about the development, LagRide Chairman, Chief Diana Chen, said the involvement of governments at every level demonstrates the pivotal role the mobility company plays in the city.
“Today is just a new beginning, and more and more people will come. More local governments will join us, and one day we want to bring the Governor here so that this programme runs across the state. LagRide is a platform where a person comes to take a job and ends up owning the vehicle. It is also a platform that any government, or any organisation with a social development or CSR mandate, can use to empower the people they want to support. The people get their own asset at the end of it,” she said.
Also present at the ceremony, Hon. Dr Princess Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon, the member representing Lagos Island Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, said:
“Everyone keeps saying there are not enough jobs for our youths. This is our own way of ensuring that they are empowered. When you give a person money, it is money, and it finishes. This is the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him how to fish. You are giving these young men something they can use to take care of themselves, their families and their homes. We must thank the Chief Executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority for doing this, and I must also thank Chief Diana Chen. Lagos Island is a commercial hub and we intend to keep the flag flying. This is the beginning, and we will be coming back to ask for more.”
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img width="2048" height="1365" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-1.jpeg" alt="">
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<h2 id="first-set-of-successful-local-government-beneficiaries-receive-their-keys-to-begin-their-journey" class="wp-block-heading">First set of successful local government beneficiaries receive their keys to begin their journey.&nbsp;</h2>
Training delivered ahead of onboarding covered platform operations, customer service and rider experience, safety and responsible driving, professional conduct, vehicle care and maintenance, financial responsibility, and brand representation.
The ceremonial keys were presented to the beneficiaries by LagRide Chairman, Chief Diana Chen; the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are; Hon. Dr Princess Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon of the Lagos State House of Assembly; and LagRide’s Executive Director, Mildred Ekanem, who also serves as Dean and Coordinator of the LagRide Drivers Academy.
LagRide operates a fleet of locally assembled vehicles and remains one of the few ride-hailing platforms in Nigeria offering drivers a structured route to vehicle ownership rather than indefinite rental. Eligibility for Drive To Own is performance-led, assessed against ride completion rates, safety compliance, customer feedback and overall conduct on the platform.
The LagRide Partner Programme is open to organisations, foundations, companies and individuals seeking to fund employment and vehicle ownership in their own communities. Partners fund selection, Academy training and vehicle costs, and receive reporting at every stage of the pathway from training through to ownership. Mr Are has indicated that further cohorts will follow.

8 Lagosians empowered with LagRide vehicles funded by Lagos Lottery Chief, Bashir Are

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