Obtaining driving licence in Lagos

In all countries of the world, be it developed, developing or
underdeveloped, driving goes beyond just putting cars on the road.
No country allows one drive without being issued a driving licence
(which signifies the approval of a driver’s ability to drive on the
road). It is expected that the holder of a driving licence would
have undergone a series of training, such as proper driving skills,
acquired basic knowledge of road signs, adequate knowledge of
traffic rules and regulations, understanding of owner manual
requirements and proper eye test among others.

According to Wikipedia, a driving licence is an official
document permitting a specific individual to operate one or more
types of motorised vehicles, such as a motorcycle, car, truck, or
bus on a public road. In some countries, the driving licence goes
beyond the above, as countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada,
the United Kingdom, and the United States, have no national
identification cards. As many people have driving licences, they
are often accepted as de facto proof of identity.

Driving licence is a legal document that serves as a proof that
an individual is allowed to drive motorised vehicles on a public
road, and helps to reduce the burden of accidents and injuries,
because it ensures that you have been trained well to drive in the
public area.

Like every other country, Nigeria is not different in the above
premise. As the relevant traffic regulation, the National Road
Traffic Regulations 2012, Regulations 45(2), 52(1) and (2), 50(1)
and 45(3)(e), provide that an applicant for the driving licence
should be 18 years and above, be physically and mentally fit, pass
a driving test and pay the prescribed fee.

However, the law also makes special provision for age limit of
applicants for commercial or professional driving licence (not
below the age of 26-Regulation 45(4)). After this, such an
applicant will then qualify for a licence valid for three years.
However, in the face of the spate of road crashes in the country
and the need to conceptualise new ideas in keeping within global
best practice, the corps, through the driving school
standardisation programme made it mandatory for fresh applicants to
attend a certified and approved driving school.

Specifically, the National Road Traffic Regulations 2004
mandates all learner drivers to attend a certified and approved
driving school as a prerequisite to obtaining a fresh driving
licence.

In aligning with this, the Lagos State Motor Vehicle
Administration Agency went a step further to break the federal
monopoly to make issuance and collection of driving licence easier
and easily accessible to the motoring public in state by creating a
platform with the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Vehicle
Inspection Service.

The tripartite arrangement works in such a way that the MVAA is
the first and last point of call for all new applicants and
renewals. Applicants attend training at any accredited driving
school; the driving school presents training records to the MVAA
where applicants will fill the driving licence application/LASG P1
form. Applicants make payment for three years or for five years at
any designated bank.

The MVAA confirms payment and refers applicant to the Vehicle
Inspection Service for vision and driving test. Physical photo
capture and biometrics are then done at any Federal Road Safety
Corps office. Driving licence can be obtained in any of the 98 MVAA
stations located across the five divisions of Lagos State in
collaboration with FRSC.

For a state like Lagos with such a high vehicular movement,
innovations keep coming up to overcome the daunting challenges.
Finally, cooperation of citizens is expected in order to have a
seamless process in all that we do. Citizens are advised to walk
into any of the MVAA stations closest to them.

Mrs. Ibironke Famakinwa, Public Affairs Department,
Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency

In all countries of the world, be it developed, developing or
underdeveloped, driving goes beyond just putting cars on the road.
No country allows one drive without being issued a driving licence
(which signifies the approval of a driver’s ability to drive on the
road). It is expected that the holder of a driving licence would
have undergone a series of training, such as proper driving skills,
acquired basic knowledge of road signs, adequate knowledge of
traffic rules and regulations, understanding of owner manual
requirements and proper eye test among others.

According to Wikipedia, a driving licence is an official
document permitting a specific individual to operate one or more
types of motorised vehicles, such as a motorcycle, car, truck, or
bus on a public road. In some countries, the driving licence goes
beyond the above, as countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada,
the United Kingdom, and the United States, have no national
identification cards. As many people have driving licences, they
are often accepted as de facto proof of identity.

Driving licence is a legal document that serves as a proof that
an individual is allowed to drive motorised vehicles on a public
road, and helps to reduce the burden of accidents and injuries,
because it ensures that you have been trained well to drive in the
public area.

Like every other country, Nigeria is not different in the above
premise. As the relevant traffic regulation, the National Road
Traffic Regulations 2012, Regulations 45(2), 52(1) and (2), 50(1)
and 45(3)(e), provide that an applicant for the driving licence
should be 18 years and above, be physically and mentally fit, pass
a driving test and pay the prescribed fee.

However, the law also makes special provision for age limit of
applicants for commercial or professional driving licence (not
below the age of 26-Regulation 45(4)). After this, such an
applicant will then qualify for a licence valid for three years.
However, in the face of the spate of road crashes in the country
and the need to conceptualise new ideas in keeping within global
best practice, the corps, through the driving school
standardisation programme made it mandatory for fresh applicants to
attend a certified and approved driving school.

Specifically, the National Road Traffic Regulations 2004
mandates all learner drivers to attend a certified and approved
driving school as a prerequisite to obtaining a fresh driving
licence.

In aligning with this, the Lagos State Motor Vehicle
Administration Agency went a step further to break the federal
monopoly to make issuance and collection of driving licence easier
and easily accessible to the motoring public in state by creating a
platform with the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Vehicle
Inspection Service.

The tripartite arrangement works in such a way that the MVAA is
the first and last point of call for all new applicants and
renewals. Applicants attend training at any accredited driving
school; the driving school presents training records to the MVAA
where applicants will fill the driving licence application/LASG P1
form. Applicants make payment for three years or for five years at
any designated bank.

The MVAA confirms payment and refers applicant to the Vehicle
Inspection Service for vision and driving test. Physical photo
capture and biometrics are then done at any Federal Road Safety
Corps office. Driving licence can be obtained in any of the 98 MVAA
stations located across the five divisions of Lagos State in
collaboration with FRSC.

For a state like Lagos with such a high vehicular movement,
innovations keep coming up to overcome the daunting challenges.
Finally, cooperation of citizens is expected in order to have a
seamless process in all that we do. Citizens are advised to walk
into any of the MVAA stations closest to them.

Mrs. Ibironke Famakinwa, Public Affairs Department,
Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency