President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed states and stakeholders in the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme to ensure that Nigerians begin to experience significant reductions in transportation fares from October 1, 2026.
The President, in a statement issued by the State House on Friday, said the October 1 target was agreed upon during his meeting with the 36 state governors on August 27.
He disclosed that an implementation committee, operating under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had been established to drive the initiative.
According to Tinubu, the committee is working with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PI-CNG & EV), state governments and other stakeholders to identify key transport routes and establish measures that will enable commuters to benefit from lower fares.
The President said the urgency of the programme had increased due to renewed pressures in global energy markets, which have pushed up the prices of petrol and diesel.
He pointed to existing CNG and electric transport schemes across several states as evidence that alternative energy sources can reduce transportation costs.
In Borno, for instance, CNG and electric buses reportedly charge between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600.
In Kaduna, 100 CNG buses that provided free transportation on major routes carried about 3.2 million passengers in their first year, with commuters estimated to have saved more than ₦3.5 billion.
Other examples cited by the President include Oyo, where CNG buses reportedly reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from ₦8,000 to ₦3,200, while Adamawa recorded fare reductions of up to 50 per cent, bringing some fares down from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000.
In Enugu, the deployment of 100 CNG buses reduced the Enugu-Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500, while government-supported buses in Plateau State reportedly transport about 13,000 commuters daily for ₦200, compared with fares above ₦500 charged by commercial operators.
The Federal Capital Territory has also recorded reductions through a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The President said CNG-converted vehicles had reduced fares by about 40 per cent on some routes, including Area 1-Gwagwalada, Nyanya and Wuse.
Niger State, he added, now records a ₦550 fare on the Suleja-Abuja route compared with about ₦800 previously, while Abia State has deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.
The President said the Federal Government had spent the past three years developing a CNG ecosystem, with more than 120,000 vehicles converted, over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations established across the country.
Tinubu also ruled out a return to the former petrol subsidy regime, arguing that it placed a heavy burden on public finances and exposed the economy to fluctuations in international oil prices.
He urged states to intensify collaboration with transport unions and commercial operators, support vehicle conversion and fleet deployment, and ensure that the savings generated through cheaper energy translate into lower fares for commuters.
The President noted that Edo State currently has 50 CNG buses in operation, while Kano has converted more than 1,000 commercial vehicles. Delta, Kwara and Lagos, he said, are expanding their CNG transport services, while Akwa Ibom has taken delivery of 50 CNG buses.
Tinubu assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would continue investing in CNG infrastructure, expanding conversion capacity and creating an environment that encourages states, transport operators, manufacturers and private investors to participate.
He said Nigeria’s abundant gas resources provide an opportunity to reduce the country’s dependence on volatile international fuel markets.
“Nigeria has the gas. We are building the infrastructure. We are already seeing the savings. Now we must move faster and scale this so more Nigerians feel those savings in the fares they pay every day,” the President said.
