SLOCAT is glad to welcome Bright Smile Empowerment Initiative (BSEI) to our growing global Partnership. Their work building a culture of cycling in Lagos, one community at a time, is a reminder of where the transport transition is actually delivered.
BSEI is a non-profit organisation based in Lagos, Nigeria, promoting wellness, inclusivity, safety and sustainable development through cycling. Their starting point is that a bicycle is more than a means of transport. It is a way to improve health, build confidence, strengthen communities and open up opportunities for children and families who would otherwise have few affordable options for getting around.
That conviction shows up as practical work: cycling education, community rides, road safety awareness and active mobility advocacy. The organisation is proudest of what it has built for children, many of whom had never ridden a bicycle before learning to ride safely and confidently in a supportive environment. BSEI reports that its programmes, including its flagship Special Children’s Day Ride with Parents and its Community Cycling Day events, have brought together hundreds of children and parents around physical activity, social inclusion and community engagement.
“We already know that cycling is not only a healthy and enjoyable activity, but also a powerful pathway to more inclusive and sustainable communities. Joining the SLOCAT Global Partnership will amplify the work Bright Smile Empowerment Initiative is already doing at the community level, helping us connect with more people, leverage our existing groundwork, and expand our impact from the local level to national, regional and ultimately global platforms.”
Tony Eboh, Chair of the Advisory Board, Bright Smile Empowerment Initiative
Bringing BSEI into the Partnership adds on-the-ground experience of the kind our work increasingly depends on. Global processes and position papers set direction, but they only matter if someone is doing the patient local work of turning them into habits, streets and skills. BSEI is doing that work in one of Africa’s largest cities.
“Global policy spaces set the direction, but it is work like Bright Smile Empowerment Initiative’s that gets us there. Connecting those two ends of the chain is precisely what our Partnership is for.” Carly Gilbert-Patrick, Secretary General, SLOCAT Partnership
Their arrival also strengthens the case we keep making: that access, health and road safety belong at the centre of the transport and climate conversation rather than at its edges. We look forward to working with BSEI as we connect global ambition with local action.
