President Bola Tinubu has set 1 October as the date for more Nigerians to begin seeing lower transport fares, citing existing reductions achieved through CNG and electric buses in several states.
Tinubu said on Saturday that the Federal Government and the 36 state governors had agreed on the objective during a meeting on 27 August. He said an implementation committee had since been created under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to help states put cheaper transport services in place.
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The committee is chaired by Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Tinubu said the committee, PI-CNG and EV, state governments and other stakeholders were working to identify priority transport routes, choose suitable interventions and make the needed arrangements before 1 October.
Cheaper transport already seen in states
The President pointed to several existing services as evidence that lower energy costs can result in lower fares for passengers.
In Borno, CNG-powered and electric public transport services carry commuters for between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600.
In Oyo, the use of CNG buses by Pacesetter Transport reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during the first deployment.
Adamawa has also recorded fare cuts of up to 50 per cent through alternative-energy transport services. One journey that cost ₦8,000 was reduced to ₦4,000.
In Enugu, 100 CNG buses have been deployed, cutting the Enugu-Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500.
Plateau government-supported buses carry about 13,000 passengers each day for ₦200. Commercial operators charge more than ₦500 on the same routes.
Abuja has also recorded lower fares through a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers. Passengers using CNG-converted commercial vehicles receive a 40 per cent fare reduction on several routes.
The Area 1-Gwagwalada fare has dropped from ₦1,500 to ₦900, while Nyanya has fallen from ₦700 to ₦420. The fare from Wuse has gone from ₦400 to ₦240.
In Niger State, passengers on the Suleja-Abuja route pay ₦550, compared with about ₦800. Abia has also deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.
He commended governors and state governments that had acted quickly, but said more work was needed. He also said the Federal Government would support states in expanding the services.
Government builds CNG network
Tinubu said the need for cheaper transport had become more urgent because disruptions to global energy supplies were putting pressure on petrol and diesel prices.
Nigeria cannot control events in international energy markets, he said, but its gas resources provide an option for reducing exposure to those price changes.
The President said his administration had spent the past three years building a CNG transport system across the country.
More than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, while Nigeria now has over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 CNG refuelling stations.
Tinubu said the country should not return to the petrol subsidy system, which he said consumed trillions of naira and left the economy exposed to changes in international oil prices.
He said cheaper transport options being developed in Nigeria should be expanded with greater urgency.
CNG transport is also being expanded in other states. Edo has 50 CNG buses in service, while Kano has converted more than 1,000 commercial vehicles and is expanding its conversion and refuelling network.
Delta, Kwara and Lagos are expanding CNG-supported transport services. Akwa Ibom has received 50 CNG buses ahead of commercial operations.
Tinubu asked states to work with transport unions and commercial operators, support vehicle conversion and bus deployment, and provide the infrastructure needed for the services.
He said the Federal Government would continue supporting CNG infrastructure, vehicle conversion capacity and participation by states, transport operators, manufacturers and private investors.
“Now we must move faster and scale this so many more Nigerians feel those savings in the fares they pay every day,” Tinubu said.
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