Tinubu Sets October 1 Target for Lower Transport Fares as CNG Programme Expands Nationwide By Okwo Romeon

ABUJA : President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set October 1 as a target for wider reductions in transportation fares under the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, urging state governments and transport stakeholders to accelerate implementation.

Tinubu said the target followed his August 27 meeting with the governors of the 36 states, after which an implementation committee was established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

In a statement on Saturday, the President said the committee, PI-CNG & EV, state governments and other stakeholders were working to identify priority transport corridors and expand CNG and electric-vehicle services.

The newly arrived CNG buses

He said several states were already recording significant fare reductions.

In Borno, CNG and electric buses reportedly charge between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial fares range from ₦300 to ₦600. Kaduna's 100 CNG buses have carried about 3.2 million passengers in one year, saving commuters more than ₦3.5 billion, according to the statement.

Tinubu also cited Oyo, where CNG buses reduced the Lagos–Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200; Enugu, where the Enugu–Nsukka fare fell from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500; and Plateau, where government-supported buses carry about 13,000 commuters daily at ₦200, compared with commercial fares above ₦500.

In Abuja, he said CNG-converted commercial vehicles operating on selected routes have delivered a 40 per cent fare reduction, including Area 1–Gwagwalada from ₦1,500 to ₦900 and Nyanya from ₦700 to ₦420.

The President said the Federal Government had converted more than 120,000 vehicles to CNG and established over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations nationwide.

He urged states to work with transport unions and operators, expand vehicle conversion and fleet deployment, and ensure that savings from cheaper energy translate into lower fares for commuters.

Tinubu said renewed global pressure on petrol and diesel prices made it necessary for Nigeria, as a gas-rich country, to accelerate its transition to cheaper alternative-energy transportation.

He also ruled out a return to the former petrol subsidy regime, saying the government would instead scale up CNG infrastructure, conversion capacity and private-sector participation.

“Nigeria has the gas. We are building the infrastructure. We are already seeing the savings,” the President said, urging stakeholders to move faster so more Nigerians can feel the impact in the fares they pay daily.