President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed all 36 state governments to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, with commuters expected to begin seeing measurable reductions in transportation fares from October 1.
Tinubu gave the directive in a statement personally signed and released on Saturday, September 19, saying the initiative was part of the outcome of his August 27 meeting with state governors.
According to the President, the governors agreed on the need to ensure that Nigerians begin to benefit directly from cheaper energy through reduced transportation costs.
“From October 1, more Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs,” Tinubu said.
To fast-track the programme, he said an implementation committee had been established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor and NGF Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The President said several states were already recording significant reductions in transport fares through the deployment of compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric-powered buses.
He cited Borno State, where CNG and electric public transport services charge between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators reportedly charge between ₦300 and ₦600.
In Kaduna State, Tinubu said 100 CNG-powered buses currently provide free transportation on major routes. He added that the buses carried about 3.2 million passengers during their first year of operation, saving commuters more than ₦3.5 billion.
The President also highlighted developments in Oyo State, where CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport have reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200.
In Adamawa State, he said alternative-energy transport services had reduced fares by as much as 50 per cent, bringing the cost of some journeys down from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000.
Tinubu further stated that in Enugu State, 100 CNG buses had reduced the Enugu-Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500, while government-supported buses in Plateau State transport about 13,000 commuters daily at ₦200, compared with fares of more than ₦500 charged by commercial operators.
In the Federal Capital Territory, the President said CNG-converted commercial vehicles operated in partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers were offering fare reductions of about 40 per cent on several routes.
He cited the Area 1-Gwagwalada route, where fares had fallen from ₦1,500 to ₦900; Nyanya, from ₦700 to ₦420; and Wuse, from ₦400 to ₦240.
Tinubu said passengers travelling on the Suleja-Abuja route in Niger State now pay about ₦550, compared with the previous fare of around ₦800.
He added that Abia State had deployed 40 electric buses, with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” the President said.
Tinubu rules out return to petrol subsidy
The President acknowledged that global energy disruptions had renewed pressure on petrol and diesel prices, but said Nigeria must reduce its exposure to international oil market fluctuations by expanding the use of domestically available gas.
He said the Federal Government had spent the past three years developing a CNG transportation ecosystem, with more than 120,000 vehicles converted, over 400 certified conversion centres established and more than 90 CNG refuelling stations operating nationwide.
Tinubu argued that returning to the petrol subsidy regime was not a sustainable solution to rising transportation costs.
“At a time like this, our answer cannot be to return to the ruinous petrol subsidy regime that consumed trillions of naira and left our economy exposed to every movement in international oil prices, as some have suggested,” he said.
“We must accelerate the cheaper alternatives we have been building at home.”
The President commended states that had made progress with CNG transportation but urged them to step up implementation ahead of the October 1 target.
He cited Edo State, which has 50 CNG buses in operation; Kano, where more than 1,000 commercial vehicles have been converted; and expanding CNG-supported transport services in Delta, Kwara and Lagos states.
He also noted that Akwa Ibom State had received 50 CNG buses ahead of the commencement of commercial operations.
Tinubu urged state governments to work closely with transport unions and commercial operators, support vehicle conversions and fleet deployment, and provide the infrastructure needed to sustain the programme.
“Above all, ensure that savings from cheaper energy reach Nigerian citizens through lower fares,” he said.
The President pledged continued Federal Government support for the expansion of CNG infrastructure, increased conversion capacity and wider access to cheaper transportation.
“Nigeria has the gas. We are building the infrastructure. We are already seeing the savings,” Tinubu said.
“Now we must move faster and scale this so that more Nigerians feel those savings in the fares they pay every day.”
