Omi-Bus breathes new life into Apapa-CMS water route

For commuters between CMS and Apapa, the question is no longer "boat or bus?" It’s now: “which boat?”

For commuters between CMS and Apapa, the question is no longer "boat or bus?" It’s now: “which boat?”

With Lagos State’s rollout of the sleek new Omi-Bus ferries to complement the older, iron-bench boats, residents like Jackson Igoche are finding fresh ways to escape traffic and choose comfort over chaos.

For Igoche, a Lagos-based real estate agent who lives in Apapa and works in Ikoyi, commuting by road is not an option he often considers.

“When there’s no traffic, it takes about 25 minutes,” he told Ikeja Record. “But that’s rare. I take the boat instead, it’s seven to ten minutes and far less stressful.”

Igoche has relied on the CMS–Apapa water route for four years, using the ferry services to avoid the gridlock that defines much of Lagos traffic. The fare, he says, is not only cheaper than road transport but also more predictable. Another regular commuter, Michael Mgbede, echoed this same sentiment.

“The boat fare is ₦700. If I take a bus from CMS to Apapa, I’ll spend around ₦1,200 to …