The launch event, attended by stakeholders from MTN, Lagos State Government officials, and members of the public, showcased the app’s features which could bolster how residents and visitors navigate and experience Lagos.

A Smart Solution for a Smart City

MyLagosApp is a one-stop platform designed to improve connectivity, accessibility, and efficiency for Lagosians. It provides a comprehensive range of services, from discovering local businesses and events to facilitating seamless transportation and digital payments.

The goal was to create an app that makes a difference and solves real-life problems for Lagosians, solving mobility challenges to discovering entertainment, businesses, and making payments, the app is built to redefine the Lagos experience.

MyLagosApp was developed by MTN’s in-house IT team in collaboration with local developers, leveraging MTN’s digital infrastructure to ensure a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Key Features of MyLagosApp

1. City Navigation and Real-Time Traffic Updates

Unlike traditional navigation apps, MyLagosApp provides users with real-time updates on traffic conditions and their causes, helping commuters make informed travel decisions. This is particularly important for Lagos, a city known for its bustling roads and unpredictable congestion.

2. Discovering Lagos – Events, Restaurants, and Businesses

The app provides users with a comprehensive directory of entertainment spots, restaurants, hotels, and local businesses. It aims to boost visibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by connecting them with potential customers.

3. Digital Payments and Government Services

Leveraging MTN’s fintech capabilities, the app enables users to pay for government levies, transport services, and other essential transactions effortlessly. This is expected to reduce cash dependency and streamline service delivery.

4. Emergency and Essential Services Access

In case of emergencies, users can quickly locate nearby hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and other critical services, making Lagos a safer and more responsive city.

5. Business & Employment Support 

SMEs and entrepreneurs can use the platform to register businesses, access funding opportunities, and apply for permits.

6. Waste Management & Environmental Services 

Report waste disposal issues, track LAWMA services, and access environmental policies.

7. E-Government & Civic Engagement 

The app ensures transparency by allowing residents to report infrastructure problems, participate in policy discussions, and engage with government officials.

Speaking at the launch event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, described MyLagosApp as a game changer for governance, saying:

“This app shows our zeal to leverage technology to make life easier for Lagosians. By digitising essential services, we are ensuring efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity in governance.

“By strategically harnessing technology, we are not only enhancing governance and improving service delivery but also simplifying and enriching the lives of every resident in this very vibrant state,” Hamzat said.

“The MyLagosApp is designed to be an inclusive platform, ensuring that residents across all parts of Lagos—from the mainland to the island—can access government services efficiently.”

MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, commented on the company’s part in ensuring excellent digital infrastructure and seamless connectivity.

“The future is now, and we are capturing the future of e-government, of entertainment, of driving commercial activity with the launch of MyLagosApp.

“On behalf of MTN, we want to thank you for the opportunity to partner in this form. We are deeply invested in Lagos State’s journey.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, pointed out how MyLagosApp will improve urban mobility.

“The app aligns with our multimodal transportation approach, integrating various transport options and providing real-time insights into traffic conditions,” he noted. 

“Additionally, the data generated from the app will support predictive models for better urban planning and transportation policies.”

Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusivity

The app was also built for elderly individuals and persons with disabilities by offering features that help them navigate Lagos more efficiently. “The inclusivity features ensure that everyone, regardless of their mobility challenges, can move around the city with ease,” the commissioner added.

MTN’s Focus on Digital Connectivity and Inclusion

MTN Nigeria’s Chief Digital Officer, Aisha Mumuni, highlighted the technological infrastructure supporting MyLagosApp.

“Ensuring seamless connectivity is essential,” she said. “We are working on subsidized data plans and Wi-Fi hotspots to support widespread app adoption. Digital literacy initiatives will also be introduced to help underserved communities maximize the benefits of this transformation.”

Environmental and Urban Planning Impact

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment Tokunbo Philip Wahab, explained how MyLagosApp will aid in environmental monitoring and urban planning. 

In leveraging the app’s data, the government can track waste management trends, monitor pollution levels, and engage with residents more effectively on pressing environmental issues.

As one of Africa’s leading megacities, Lagos is taking hold of digital growth to enhance urban living. MyLagosApp is a tool for enhancing how people experience Lagos, both residents and visitors, making the city more connected, accessible, and efficient.

How to Access MyLagosApp

The app is available for download on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Users can sign up using their email address, with additional verification steps to ensure security.

As you know, RCS protocol enables businesses to deliver targeted, personalized marketing messages and offers to their customers through interactive, multimedia messaging campaigns.

Thus, MTN hosted a mobile advertising event that brought together key decision makers (CMOs), Brand & Marketing Executives and Agency heads in Lagos, recently.

Opening the event, A’isha Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer at MTN Nigeria expressed that mobile advertising is a cost-effective means for brands to directly target advertising at the mobile phones of prospects and customers who would want/need their products and services in a more measurable manner than many other channels currently provide.

Rolling out statistics, she said that the digital advertising market in Nigeria is close to hitting $175m by the end of 2023 and by 2030, the market will hit $150m from Telco’s mobile advertising alone.

According to A’isha, MTN Nigeria, through its digital services and enterprise business with its, wants to be the Amazon of mobile advertising.

“We want our partners to be able to access the advertising platform, select the base, location and as many attributes available so that they can push out their campaign.

“We have so many channels for us to present this in ways that is non-obtrusive, and yet meeting our customer at the point of their need, we have the data, information, technology, strategy and experience to achieve this.”

Concluding, A’isha reemphasized the importance of MTN Nigeria’s customers and partners in achieving its mobile advertising feat.

Also speaking at the event, Eityo Amushan, Senior Manager, Digital Campaign and Digital Services, MTN Nigeria discussed the MTN’s advertising key objective as he explains how MTN advertising offers partners the ability to engage with several users through its platforms and various inventory channels, thereby reaching all sectors of the population.

“What we want to achieve for MTN Nigeria is to be the largest publisher in the media advertising space, whereby we’ll be competing with the big techs. We want to empower all our advertisers by leveraging on our first party telco data.

Eyitatyo emphasized that advertising with MTN Nigeria comes with the benefit of reaching real people with first screen user experience as it leverages telco first party deterministic data in accordance with local regulations.

“We are also want to anonymize and aggregate our customer data to provide insights and value to our advertisers.”

According to Eyitayo, this step will empower MTN Nigeria’s advertisers to make their campaign more achievable.

“Our advertiser will use our anonymized data to improve their products and targeting, to get more insights about what their customer wants.”

Eyitayo also explained the concept of RCS (Rich Communication Service) in the mobile advertising space.

MTN RCS Communications API provides a capability to create and send communications, notifications, and instructions to parties, individuals, organizations or users.

According to Eyitayo, RCS is an advanced SMS that allows customers to interact with the messages.

“The RCS are interactive messages which enable us to collect feedback from our subscribers. In return, we leverage the information gathered to empower our advertisers”.

Concluding, Eyitayo highlighted the benefits of MTN mobile advertising which include, targeting capabilities, cost-effectiveness, accessibility and location-based advertising.