Tinubu claims CNG gains drop transport costs for commuters, vows further expansion

Abdullateef Fowewe

President Bola Tinubu has personal accounts from Nigerians who say compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and buses have cut their daily transport expenses, framing the shift as a key payoff from the removal of the petrol subsidy.

In a three-part statement posted on X, the president addressed individuals by name whose videos and feedback he said he had reviewed.

“I watched your video and listened as you explained how your journey from Masaka to Berger in the FCT now costs ₦500 instead of ₦1,500. That is ₦1,000 saved every trip,” Tinubu wrote to a woman named Blessing.

He noted similar savings reported by Ada and Abigail, who now pay ₦1,600 instead of ₦4,000 for trips from Enugu to Nsukka, and by Kabir, a taxi driver who said ₦10,000 worth of CNG lets him complete three more return trips than colleagues still using petrol.

Feedback from Borno indicated some trips now cost as little as ₦50 on CNG and electric vehicles.

“Your various experiences show what our investment in CNG transportation is intended to achieve. Lower operating costs for drivers should translate into more affordable fares for passengers, leaving families with more money for their everyday needs,” the president said.

Tinubu acknowledged the hardship that followed the 2023 subsidy removal: “When we removed the petrol subsidy, I knew the decision would bring difficulties for many households. With that decision came a responsibility to provide practical alternatives that would ease transportation costs.”

He outlined progress under the National Affordable CNG Transportation Programme.

Recent deliveries include 15 buses to Ekiti, 20 to Lagos, 50 ready in Akwa Ibom, 30 CNG hybrid buses and 200 electric tricycles in Katsina, and 30 CNG buses plus five electric buses in Kano, with further rollout planned for Edo.

Kaduna’s 100 CNG buses have already carried more than three million passengers.

More than 400 certified centres have converted over 120,000 vehicles to CNG, and refuelling infrastructure is being expanded.

Responding to a call for more buses from a man named Emmanuel, Tinubu said the federal government is working with state governors and private investors to widen coverage.

On petrol prices, he listed short-term relief measures: the waiver of more than ₦3.3 trillion in fuel taxes and duties, NNPC Retail forgoing its profit margin for 30 days (with priority for public transport operators), and efforts toward a ₦1,350-per-litre ceiling on wholesale petrol supply costs.

Closing the statement, Tinubu stressed that policy choices must remain sustainable.

“As President, I have a duty to provide relief today without compromising our children’s future. Every commitment must be sustainable and backed by a credible plan,” he added.

He added that anyone seeking to lead Nigeria “should be prepared to explain what their promises will cost, how they will deliver them, and whether they can sustain them.”

Tinubu’s administration removed the long-standing petrol subsidy shortly after he took office in May 2023, arguing it was fiscally unsustainable and distorted the economy.

The move triggered rises in fuel prices, transport fares and broader inflation, drawing widespread public criticism.

In response, the government has promoted CNG conversion, new CNG and electric buses, and related infrastructure as a lower-cost alternative.

The programme forms part of a broader push to reduce dependence on imported petrol and ease the burden on households and commercial operators.