The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in a public statement released via X has clarified its position on creating content on public transportation infrastructure, including the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT), Blue Line and other upcoming rail lines.
“To avoid confusion, creating videos or taking pictures for commercial purposes on our infrastructure is not permitted without prior approval.” According to the statement, this approval will “help us maintain order and ensure filming activities don’t disrupt operations or passenger safety”
With the rapid growth of the digital and creative economy, content creation/generation and consumption are on the rise, and the need to guide these creators in order to not infringe on the rights, movements and privacy of other users of this infrastructure is seen as timely.
Many believe this approval is seen as an avenue to ramp up the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the government while at the same time, maintain orderly use of these infrastructure. LASTMA, the traffic management agency in the state was recently handed down an upwardly reviewed revenue target in the 2024 budget.
