Mirian Gom 
President Bola Tinubu
ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says Nigerians are already benefiting from lower transport fares through CNG-powered and electric public transport services as the Federal Government works towards wider fare reductions from October 1, 2026.
Tinubu made the claim in a statement on Saturday, following his August 27 meeting with the governors of the 36 states on measures to reduce transportation costs nationwide.
He said an implementation committee for the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme had been established under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
According to the President, the committee, PI-CNG & EV, state governments and other stakeholders are working to identify priority transport corridors and determine the interventions required to reduce fares.
“On August 27, I met with the governors of our 36 states, and we agreed on a clear objective. From October 1, more Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs,” Tinubu said.
He cited existing CNG and electric transport schemes in several states as evidence of lower fares.
“In Borno, CNG-powered and electric public transport services are moving commuters for between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600,” he said.
In Kaduna, Tinubu said 100 CNG-powered buses were providing free transportation on major routes and had carried about 3.2 million passengers during their first year of operation, which he said saved commuters more than ₦3.5 billion.
He also cited fare reductions in Oyo, where CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during the initial deployment.
In Adamawa, he said alternative-energy transit services had reduced fares by as much as 50%, from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000.
In Enugu, he said the deployment of 100 CNG buses had reduced the Enugu-Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500.
Tinubu also cited Plateau, where government-supported buses carry about 13,000 commuters daily at ₦200, compared with more than ₦500 charged by commercial operators.
Abuja fares
The President said the Federal Government’s partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had also reduced fares on some Abuja commuter routes using CNG-converted commercial vehicles.
He said passengers were receiving a 40% fare reduction on several routes.
According to Tinubu, the Area 1-Gwagwalada fare had fallen from ₦1,500 to ₦900, while the Nyanya fare dropped from ₦700 to ₦420 and Wuse from ₦400 to ₦240.
He also said passengers on the Suleja-Abuja route in Niger State were paying ₦550, compared with about ₦800 previously, while Abia had deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50%.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.
The President said the Federal Government would support states to expand their CNG and alternative-energy transport programmes.
He said the global energy crisis had increased pressure on petrol and diesel prices and made the transition to cheaper transport energy more urgent.
“Over the last three years, my administration has deliberately invested in building a CNG transportation ecosystem across Nigeria. Today, more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted; we have over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 CNG refuelling stations across the country, and these figures are increasing daily,” he said.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s gas resources provided an opportunity to reduce exposure to fluctuations in international energy prices.
He also ruled out a return to the petrol subsidy regime, arguing that the government should instead accelerate the development of cheaper transport alternatives.
The President said Edo had 50 CNG buses in active service, while Kano had converted more than 1,000 commercial vehicles.
He added that Delta, Kwara and Lagos were expanding CNG-supported transport services, while Akwa Ibom had taken delivery of 50 CNG buses ahead of commercial operations.
Tinubu urged state governments to work with transport unions and commercial operators, expand vehicle conversions and support the infrastructure required to make lower fares possible.
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