The President made the statement on Saturday while providing an update on the Federal Government’s plan to achieve wider reductions in transportation fares from October 1, 2026.
Tinubu said the initiative followed a meeting with the governors of the 36 states on August 27, where the need to reduce transportation costs and ease the impact of economic pressures on households was discussed.
He said an implementation committee for the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme had subsequently been established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, with state governments and other stakeholders working to identify priority transport routes and determine appropriate interventions.
According to the President, several states are already recording significant reductions in fares following the deployment of alternative-energy vehicles.
He cited Borno as an example, saying CNG-powered and electric public transport services were carrying passengers for between N50 and N100 on routes where commercial operators charge between N300 and N600.
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, resulting in reported savings of more than N3.5 billion for commuters.
He also cited Oyo, where CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport reportedly reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about N8,000 to N3,200 during the initial deployment.
In Adamawa, the President said alternative-energy transport services had reduced fares by as much as 50 per cent, from N8,000 to N4,000.
Other examples included the Enugu-Nsukka route, where the fare was reduced from N2,500 to N1,500 following the deployment of 100 CNG buses, and Plateau State, where government-supported buses reportedly carry about 13,000 passengers daily at N200 compared with more than N500 charged by commercial operators.
Tinubu also pointed to reductions on some Abuja commuter routes following the conversion of commercial vehicles to CNG. He said the Area 1-Gwagwalada fare had fallen from N1,500 to N900, while fares on the Nyanya and Wuse routes had dropped from N700 to N420 and N400 to N240 respectively.
On the Suleja-Abuja route in Niger State, the President said passengers were paying N550 compared with about N800 previously. He added that Abia State had deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
Tinubu said these reductions demonstrated that cheaper energy could translate into lower transportation costs for Nigerians.
He said the Federal Government had spent the past three years developing a CNG transportation ecosystem as part of efforts to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel.
According to him, more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, while Nigeria now has more than 400 certified conversion centres and over 90 CNG refuelling stations.
The President said the ongoing global energy crisis had increased pressure on petrol and diesel prices, making the transition to alternative energy sources more urgent.
He maintained that Nigeria, as a gas-producing country, could reduce its exposure to fluctuations in international energy markets by expanding the domestic use of CNG.
Tinubu also ruled out a return to the petrol subsidy regime, arguing that the policy had imposed a heavy financial burden on the country and left the economy vulnerable to international oil-price movements.
He urged state governments to accelerate the conversion of vehicles, expand CNG-supported transport services and ensure that savings from cheaper energy are reflected in fares paid by commuters.
The President said the Federal Government would continue supporting states, transport unions, operators and private investors as the programme expands.
He urged all states to sustain preparations ahead of October 1, when more Nigerians are expected to begin seeing reduced transportation costs.
The government’s challenge now is to expand the infrastructure and services already operating in some states so that lower fares become more widely available to commuters across the country.
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