… Says CNG needs buses, conversion centres, refuelling stations
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, has said Nigerians are awaiting the transport relief promised by President Bola Tinubu to take effect from October 1, 2026.
Sani, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the planned relief through the government’s Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, and affordable transportation programme would only have a meaningful impact if adequate infrastructure was available across the country.
He said although CNG was cheaper than petrol, its benefits could not substantially cushion transportation costs for millions of Nigerians without sufficient CNG buses, vehicle conversion facilities and refuelling stations.
Sani said the President’s return to Nigeria after what the Presidency described as a four-week working vacation in Europe had heightened expectations among Nigerians facing rising transportation and living costs.
“As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns from his working vacation in Europe, he returns to Nigerians facing renewed economic pressure, made worse by the sharp rise in petrol prices,” he said.
According to him, higher petrol prices affect not only fuel costs but also transport fares, food prices, business expenses and household incomes.
He said the President had committed to ensuring that Nigerians began experiencing measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1 through the government’s CNG and affordable transportation programme.
“The question is: Will Nigerians actually feel this relief?” he asked.
Sani said Nigeria remained heavily dependent on petrol and diesel for the movement of people, food and goods, making transportation costs vulnerable to changes in petrol prices.
He therefore urged the government to provide details on the implementation of the October 1 programme, including the expected reduction in fares, routes and states to benefit, the number of operational CNG buses and measures to ensure that lower fuel costs translated into savings for passengers.
“October 1 must therefore be more than another government deadline. Nigerians deserve to know: How much will fares fall? Which routes and states will benefit? How many CNG buses are actually operating? And how will government ensure that savings from cheaper CNG reach passengers?” he said.
The ADP chairman said the success of the programme should be measured by the fares paid by Nigerians at bus stops and motor parks rather than government announcements or commissioning ceremonies.
He added that Nigerians deserved to see economic reforms translate into tangible improvements in their daily lives.
“If CNG is cheaper, transportation must become cheaper,” Sani said.
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