Damilola Olokesusi is helping to reduce Nigeria’s traffic problem and carbon footprint. According to recent reports, daily commuting significantly impacts individual carbon footprints, with transportation accounting for roughly 25% of global emissions and road vehicles contributing about 75%.
The report highlights Nigeria as one of the highest emitters of commute-related pollution, with Lagos State being particularly impacted. The city experiences severe traffic congestion, with an estimated 10,000 passengers travelling in each direction per hour during peak periods, exacerbating both environmental and mobility challenges.
Millions of professionals in Lagos struggle daily with long, stressful, and unpredictable commutes. Public transport is overcrowded and unreliable, ride-hailing services are sometimes too expensive for daily use, and private cars only add to the never-ending traffic. Business Day says Lagos commuters lose 75% of weekly working hours to traffic, leading to wasted hours, lost productivity, and constant frustration.
Damilola Olokesusi is familiar with this struggle, but it became personal when her sister was robbed in transit on public transport. She realised commuting shouldn’t have to be this difficult or unsafe, so she created Shuttlers, a more innovative way to commute.
“Shuttlers to me is a calling; It’s a call to impact humanity.” —Damilola Olokesusi, shared on LinkedIn.
Olokesusi moves to establish Shuttlers
Co-founded in 2015 alongside Akachukwu Okafor, Shuttlers is a tech-driven ride-sharing platform that helps professionals book affordable, air-conditioned bus rides along fixed routes. Unlike ride-hailing services, Shuttlers offers predictable pricing with no surge charges-even during rush hour. Companies can also subsidise rides for their employees, making daily commutes smoother and stress-free.
Shuttlers operate on fixed, affordable pricing 60–80% lower than traditional options. With just a few taps on the Shuttlers app, customers can book reliable rides along scheduled routes, eliminating the uncertainty of Lagos’s chaotic transport network.
But beyond convenience, Shuttlers is tackling the city’s traffic and pollution problems. Each bus can replace up to 29 private cars, reducing congestion and lowering carbon emissions, thus making urban mobility more sustainable.
Olokesusi’s roadblocks and breakthroughs
Starting a mobility company in Nigeria was not easy. Investors were sceptical, regulations were complex, and convincing professionals to replace their rides with a shared service required proof that Shuttlers was safe, reliable, and worth the switch.
In the early days, Shuttlers did not have an app. The team relied on emails and WhatsApp messages to coordinate bookings. However, by 2019, they launched their app, providing users complete control over their commuting experience.
In 2020, Damilola Olokesusi and her team partnered with Ford Motor Company and Global Water Challenge (GWC) to launch an all-female shuttle service called She Moves Shuttles. This initiative has positively impacted over 600 female professionals by simplifying their commuting experience and providing opportunities for learning while they travel. The company later secured $1.6 million in seed funding, facilitating its expansion in 2021.
Damilola Olokesusi, through Shuttlers, has positioned herself as a key figure in Africa’s mobility revolution. Her contributions have earned her recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Technology in 2020 and accolades from the UK government, Ford Motors, and Women in Africa. Additionally, she has received grants from Airtel’s Sahara, GEM-World Bank, and Ford Motor Company.
