Many Nigerians woke up on October 1 expecting cheaper transport. In much of the country, they didn’t get it.
President Bola Tinubu had said transport fares should begin to drop from October 1 as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses came into wider use. A survey of several states by The PUNCH on Thursday found that, for most commuters, fares were the same as the week before, and in some places higher.
Where the Promise Came From
The commitment is tied to the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, which grew out of an August 27 meeting between the President and the 36 state governors. On September 19, Tinubu released a statement asking states to make sure savings from cheaper energy reach ordinary citizens as lower fares by October 1. He called on them to work with transport unions and operators, support vehicle conversion and fleet rollout, and build the necessary infrastructure. He also said several states were already recording lower fares through CNG and electric buses.
The Federal Government’s Response
Ismaeel Ahmed, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, said October 1 was never meant to be a deadline for every state to cut fares at once. According to him, it is the date from which the Federal Government begins monitoring the rollout. He pointed to several examples:
- Abuja: CNG buses have run on busy routes such as Federal Secretariat, Gwagwalada and Kubwa for about three years, with noticeably lower fares.
- Lagos: 20 CNG buses were donated to LAMATA to help bring down fares within Lagos and on the Lagos–Ibadan corridor.
- Kaduna: Fares have fallen significantly since CNG buses were introduced about two years ago.
- Zamfara: 100 electric taxis have just been launched with sharply reduced fares.
- Ebonyi: Buses are free for civil servants and students, and officials are looking at extending this to the wider public.
- Borno: Electric vehicles reportedly charge about ₦15 per trip, compared with ₦200 to ₦500 before.
Ahmed admitted the programme has not reached everywhere yet, calling it “a beginning,” and said the government would keep expanding it to more communities and high-traffic corridors.
What Commuters Found on the Ground
States with No Visible Change
Anambra: Fares were unchanged, at ₦700 from Upper Iweka to Oba and about ₦2,000 from Awka to Onitsha. Some drivers had not heard of the CNG buses, and gas stations were reportedly not operating. One operator said bad roads and the closure of the First Niger Bridge, which forces drivers onto poor inner roads, make fare cuts unrealistic.
Delta: Only five CNG-branded buses were seen, parked at the Commissioner for Transport’s lodge in Asaba. The NURTW chairman at Summit Motor Park said the union had received no buses and could not cut fares while fuel remained expensive.
Imo: Local transporters said no federal CNG buses had reached them, even though the state APC spokesman insisted deliveries had begun. Drivers quoted ₦4,500 from Owerri to Akokwa and ₦9,000 from Owerri to Awka, which they said was roughly 50 per cent higher than before. Some argued the government should cut the pump price of petrol instead, and noted that the state’s transport sector is dominated by private bus owners.
Sokoto and Kebbi: Passengers from Sokoto to Kebbi still pay ₦5,000 to ₦6,000, and Kano or Kaduna trips cost about ₦20,000. In Kebbi, commercial buses charge about ₦5,000 to Sokoto, while state-owned vehicles charge ₦3,500, but they cover too few routes to help most people.
Jigawa: Commuters at Dutse Central and Shuwarin motor parks said nothing had changed. One pays ₦3,500 to Kano, the same as last week, and another pays ₦5,000 to Hadejia. The state NARTO chairman said about 100 union vehicles have been converted to CNG with government support and that work on lowering fares continues.
Gombe: Fares on both state-run and private services were unchanged. The managing director of the state transport service said the agency is looking for ways to stop fares rising further and is working on converting some buses to CNG.
Edo: Fares in Benin stayed at ₦200 to ₦300 for short trips and ₦500 to ₦600 for longer ones, even on converted vehicles. A union official blamed spare-part costs and weak gas infrastructure, saying buses sometimes queue for hours or even days to refuel. The state government says it will launch 50 fifty-two-seater CNG buses later this month, shared across the three senatorial districts, and expects private operators to cut fares once passengers have a cheaper option.
Ondo: No CNG buses were seen and fares were unchanged. A taxi driver said he knew of no CNG deployment and asked how fares could fall while petrol stays costly. The governor’s transport adviser said the state is working on conversion centres and more gas outlets.
Osun: Both city and interstate fares were unchanged. The information commissioner said the state is still waiting for the CNG buses promised by the Federal Government, and that its tight finances limit its ability to subsidise transport itself.
Oyo: Ibadan fares remain at the levels set after the last petrol price increase. Ojoo to Mokola is ₦600, up from ₦500, and Ojoo to Iwo Road is ₦400 to ₦500. One trader said he paid the same fare on October 1 and would wait to see whether the promise held.
Ogun: Kuto to Ijebu Ode is still ₦3,500 whether the bus runs on CNG or petrol, Kuto to Ita Oshin is ₦600 to ₦700, and Kuto to Sagamu is ₦2,000 and above. A driver blamed fuel, maintenance and living costs. A government spokesman said the state would announce its own interventions in the coming days, noting that October 1 was a public holiday.
States with Schemes That Help, but Not Enough
Enugu: The state’s CNG buses charge a flat ₦300, against ₦600 on commercial buses for the Emene to Old Park trip. But they run mainly on major routes in the morning and evening, so commuters pay higher fares the rest of the day. Enugu launched 100 buses a year ago from a planned 200, and there is no public information on the remainder. A local transport employers’ union official said members had not been told about the promised lower fares.
Kaduna: The only state running a fully free CNG mass transit service, with 100 buses across eight routes and about 200 stops. The government says it carried about 3.2 million passengers in its first year and saved commuters over ₦3.5 billion. Outside those routes, commercial fares remain high: Kawo to Kasuwa and Kasuwa to Sabon Tasha, once under ₦300, now cost about ₦500.
Plateau: There are no CNG buses yet, and metro buses still charge ₦200. A Bukuru to Terminus passenger still pays ₦1,000. The transport commissioner said the state’s subsidised buses already carry about 13,000 people a day at ₦200, against over ₦500 on commercial transport. He added that Plateau is working with the National Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria, on a CNG and hybrid conversion centre in Jos, and named the lack of a refuelling station as a major obstacle.
The Recurring Obstacles
The same problems came up across states:
- Slow delivery of buses: Many unions and state officials say they have not received the promised vehicles.
- Thin infrastructure: Too few refuelling stations and conversion centres, with long queues at those that exist.
- High operating costs: Spare parts, maintenance and petrol prices keep commercial operators from cutting fares.
- Poor roads and limited coverage: Subsidised schemes serve only a few routes and hours.
- Weak communication: Some drivers and unions say they were never briefed on the programme.
What Happens Next
The Federal Government says October 1 is only the start of monitoring, not the day every state was expected to cut fares. It points to Kaduna, Borno and Zamfara as proof that the programme is working in some places.
For most commuters, though, nothing has changed yet. Buses have not arrived in many states, refuelling stations are few, and operators say their costs are still too high to lower fares. The coming weeks will show whether states like Edo and Ogun, which have promised new buses and interventions, can turn the announcement into cheaper rides.
