By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
President Bola Tinubu has said that from October 1, commuters across Nigeria must begin to see measurable reductions in transportation fares as he has directed all 36 states to accelerate the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme.
In a statement personally signed and released on Saturday, September 19, Tinubu said the push followed his August 27 meeting with state governors, where they “agreed on a clear objective: From October 1, more Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs.”
To drive implementation, the President said an implementation committee for the CNG programme was established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor and NGF Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” he said.
Tinubu pointed to existing CNG and electric transport deployments as proof that cheaper energy can immediately translate into lower fares, listing concrete examples across the country:
The President said that in Borno State, CNG and electric public transport charge between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge ₦300–₦600.
In Kaduna: 100 CNG-powered buses provide free transportation on major routes; noting that in their first year they carried about 3.2 million passengers and saved commuters over ₦3.5 billion.
He further stated that in Oyo State, CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport cut the Lagos–Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200, while in Adamawa, Alternative-energy transit services reduced fares by up to 50 per cent, from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000.
Also in Enugu, 100 CNG buses reduced the Enugu–Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500 and in Plateau, government-supported buses carry about 13,000 commuters daily at ₦200, compared with over ₦500 commercially.
Tinubu said in Abuja, in partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, CNG-converted commercial vehicles offer a 40 per cent fare reduction on several routes; Area 1–Gwagwalada fell from ₦1,500 to ₦900, Nyanya from ₦700 to ₦420, and Wuse from ₦400 to ₦240.
He said in Niger, passengers on the Suleja–Abuja service now pay ₦550 instead of about ₦800, while in Abia, 40 electric buses have been deployed with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.
“Our answer cannot be to return to the ruinous petrol subsidy regime”
Acknowledging renewed pressure on petrol and diesel prices from global energy disruptions, Tinubu stressed that Nigeria cannot control international oil markets but can reduce its exposure by leveraging domestic gas
He said his administration has, over the last three years, deliberately built a CNG transportation ecosystem, with more than 120,000 vehicles converted, over 400 certified conversion centres, and more than 90 CNG refuelling stations nationwide—figures he said are increasing daily.
“At a time like this, our answer cannot be to return to the ruinous petrol subsidy regime that consumed trillions of naira and left our economy exposed to every movement in international oil prices, as some have suggested,” he said.
“We must accelerate the cheaper alternatives we have been building at home.”
“I commend the Governors… However, more still needs to be done”
Tinubu commended states that have moved quickly, citing active CNG bus services in Edo (50 buses), over 1,000 converted commercial vehicles in Kano, expanding CNG-supported services in Delta, Kwara and Lagos, and Akwa Ibom’s receipt of 50 CNG buses ahead of commercial operations.
But he warned that more must be done, urging every state to “maintain the momentum towards October 1.”
“Work with transport unions and commercial operators. Support conversion and fleet deployment. Facilitate the infrastructure required. Above all, ensure that savings from cheaper energy reach Nigerian citizens through lower fares,” he said.
“Nigeria has the gas. We are building the infrastructure. We are already seeing the savings.”
The President pledged continued federal support to scale CNG infrastructure and access, expand conversion capacity, and create an enabling environment for states, transport operators, manufacturers and private investors to participate.
“Nigeria has the gas. We are building the infrastructure. We are already seeing the savings,” Tinubu said.
“Now we must move faster and scale this so that more Nigerians feel those savings in the fares they pay every day.”
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