Lagos City Infra Lagos State is one of the 36 States of the Federal State of Nigeria, and is divided into 20 Local Government Areas. Among the latter, 16 of them form Metropolitan Lagos. Metropolitan Lagos is one of the worlds largest cities with a population estimated at approximately 17 million. The population is highly mobile and largely reliant upon public transport; however, the lack of an organized public transport network has led to inefficiencies in its provision and a low level of service to those who use it. Existing public transport has been widely described as chaotic, inefficient, expensive, low quality and dangerous both in terms of road traffic accidents and personal safety.  The proposed project involves a strategic engagement with Lagos State to support the development of two Quality Bus Corridors (QBC) (the Project). The development of the two QBCs will cost approximately US$50 million. IFCs proposed investment will be an A loan of the Nigerian naira (NGN) equivalent of up to US$50 million. The QBCs are part of the Lagos State Transport Master Plan Project (LSTMPP), an ambitious city-wide reform of the public transportation services in Lagos, which was developed in part with financing from the World Bank, and, some of which is being implemented by the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA). LAMATA is the transport planning, implementing, regulating and franchising authority of the Lagos State Government.  The two QBCs identified for IFC financing are: Command  Abule Egba (6 km) and Ile Ile  Ile Epo (4.3 km), both along existing road networks. The project activities will include road infrastructure improvement, rehabilitation of pedestrian walkways to improve walking conditions and accessibility to public transport services, rehabilitation of drainage, improvements of road junctions, provision of dedicated lanes for public transportation buses and construction of a new bus terminal for each QBC (a hub passenger pick up and drop off) and installation of a number of additional bus stops/ flags at each QBC. Buses will be sheltered, maintained and refueled at a bus depot (one of up to four that will be set up as part of the LSTMPP 1 to serve all the QBCs).  There is a combined population of around 292,000 persons within a radius of 400 meters around these two corridors and about 10,400 passengers pass through them per hour during peak hours. Considering 75% of this passenger traffic is with public transportation, developing these QBCs will help reduce travel times and improve road safety. The project will support improved access to jobs and services, while achieving environmental objectives of reducing air pollution and carbon emissions.     Pre-feasibility studies for both the QBCs have been completed. It is anticipated that detailed project design and relevant environmental and social studies, including a project specific Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), will be completed by the last quarter of  2021. The construction work is expected to be completed by 2024. A.	Project-Level Outcomes: The expected project-level impacts include the following:

i) Provision of reliable transportation: The Project will support the rehabilitation of 2 Quality Bus Corridors ("QBC") located in the low-income areas of Lagos where the BRT and LRT will not reach.  IFC expects that the project will provide passengers with more reliable and   efficient public transportation, thereby reducing commute times and accidents along the corridors. The number of passengers benefiting from the project per day is expected to be circa 157,000. Based on IFC's Industry Specialist projection, the project is expected to generate an estimated annual timing savings of about 282, 800 hours per year and this in turn translates to an estimated economic value of time savings of $175, 000 a year.

ii) Environmental and social impacts: The Project will introduce more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation into the Lagos metropolis and help alleviate traffic congestion in a particularly densely-populated part of Lagos. This is expected to result in a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental pollution. As per IFC's Industry Specialist estimates, about 5,300 tons of CO2 emission avoided per annum.

iii) Job creation: The Project is expected to create job opportunities for the local workforce during construction and provide training for long-term operations phase positions. 

iv) Support social inclusion: Given that the project is located in low-income areas of Lagos, the improved connectivity is expected to benefit the local community and support social inclusion by facilitating access to job opportunities and key social and business services.


B.	Contribution to Market Creation: The Project will complement World Bank support for the Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan Project, which was developed with technical and financial assistance from the World Bank. Past transport projects financed by the World Bank include: i) the Lagos Urban Transport Plan Project Phase 1 (LUTP I; #P074963) - which financed the initial creation and capacity building at the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) (LAMATA is the Lagos State's agency in charge of strategic planning, development and regulation (including granting concessions) of the public transport network)), traffic management and road maintenance in Lagos State, and, ii) the LUTP II (#P112956)), which focused on Bus Rapid Transit and feeder roads construction. The Project's contributions to market creation are as follows: 

i) Improving physical and economic integration: IFC anticipates that the Project will enhance physical connectivity in the Abule Egba- Command and Ile Ile-Ile Epo areas of Lagos, enhancing economic activity and integration of labor seekers and employers. By improving the transport system capacity and urban connectivity, the Project has the potential to promote further mobility to other parts of Lagos, where more businesses and social services are located. The increased business activity will support productive employment for residents who get on the road daily in search of these income generation opportunities.

ii) Social and environmental sustainability: The Project is expected to set a benchmark for future similar projects in the city of Lagos through adoption of improved operational and safety standards on the two QBCs including improvement of the pavement, drainage system, sidewalks and lightning as well as improved drivers' skills and introduction of efficient and less pollutant buses in the transport system.