Average city bus fare rises 2.43% to N1,431 in May

The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within Nigerian cities rose to N1,431.25 per trip in May 2026, highlighting continued pressure on transportation costs despite signs of easing inflation in other sectors of the economy.

This was contained in the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest Transport Fare Watch report, released on Tuesday.

According to the report, the average intra-city bus fare increased 2.43 per cent from N1,397.27 recorded in April 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose 38.63 per cent from N1,032.46 paid in May 2025.

The report also showed that transport costs increased across other major categories, including intercity bus travel, domestic air transport, motorcycle (okada) rides, and water transportation during the review period.

The NBS noted that transport fares continued to rise across virtually all categories in May, with motorcycle transportation recording the highest annual increase.

According to the data, the average fare for intercity bus travel increased to N9,699.55 in May, up 0.96 per cent from N9,607.41 in April. Compared with May 2025, the fare rose 21.89 per cent from N7,957.41.

Similarly, the average airfare for specified domestic routes stood at N157,552.19, reflecting a 0.12 per cent month-on-month increase and a 20.86 per cent rise from N130,361.85 recorded in May 2025. Motorcycle transport recorded the sharpest increase among all transport categories, with the average fare rising to N1,072.51. This represented a 3.56 per cent increase from April and a 52.45 per cent year-on-year increase.

Water transport fares also increased to N2,276.48 during the month, up by 2.41 per cent from April and 30.88 per cent higher than the N1,739.32 recorded in May last year.

The bureau said the figures showed that transport costs remained elevated nationwide despite relatively modest monthly increases.

State-by-state analysis showed wide disparities in transport fares across the country.

Ondo State recorded the highest average intercity bus fare at N11,080, followed by Abia State at N11,066.13, while Kwara and Edo states posted the lowest average fares.

For intra-city bus transportation, Zamfara State recorded the highest average fare at N1,878.80, followed by Taraba State at N1,771.96. Abia and Adamawa states recorded the lowest city bus fares.

The report further showed that Kano State posted the highest average domestic airfare at N184,139.29, ahead of Lagos State at N176,971.65, while Gombe and Nasarawa states recorded the lowest airfares.