Tinubu sets October 1 deadline for nationwide transport fare cuts under CNG programme

Abdullateef Fowewe

President Bola Tinubu has directed all 36 state governments to accelerate the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) and alternative-energy transport services, with the target that “from October 1, more Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs.”

The directive follows an August 27 meeting between the President and the state governors, where they agreed on the October 1 objective and established an implementation committee for the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor and NGF Chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Tinubu, in a post shared on his official social media handle on Saturday, said he is “aware of the considerable work already underway by the committee, PI-CNG & EV, the States, and other critical stakeholders to identify priority transport corridors, determine appropriate interventions, and put the necessary arrangements in place,” adding that the effort has become “even more urgent amid the current global energy crisis.”

The President pointed to concrete fare reductions already recorded in several states as proof that cheaper energy is translating into lower transport costs.

He noted that in Borno, CNG-powered and electric public transport services are moving commuters for between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600.

In Kaduna, he said 100 CNG-powered buses are providing free transportation on major routes, carrying about 3.2 million passengers in their first year and saving commuters more than ₦3.5 billion in transport costs.

Tinubu also highlighted that in Oyo, CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport brought the Lagos–Ibadan fare down from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during the initial deployment, while in Adamawa alternative-energy transit services cut fares by as much as 50 per cent, from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000.

In Enugu, where 100 CNG buses have been deployed, the Enugu–Nsukka fare has been reduced from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500, and in Plateau, government-supported buses carry about 13,000 commuters daily at ₦200, compared with more than ₦500 commercially.

On Abuja commuter routes, he said passengers on CNG-converted commercial vehicles are receiving a 40 per cent fare reduction through a partnership with the NURTW, with the Area 1 to Gwagwalada route falling from ₦1,500 to ₦900, Nyanya from ₦700 to ₦420, and Wuse from ₦400 to ₦240.

He added that in Niger, passengers on the Suleja–Abuja service are paying ₦550 compared with about ₦800, while Abia has deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.

“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu said his administration has, over the last three years, deliberately invested in building a CNG transportation ecosystem, noting that more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted, there are over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 CNG refuelling stations across the country, with the figures increasing daily.

Against calls by some critics to reintroduce petrol subsidies, he insisted that “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.”

Instead, he urged states to “maintain the momentum towards October 1,” work with transport unions and commercial operators, support conversion and fleet deployment, and facilitate the required infrastructure so that “savings from cheaper energy reach Nigerian citizens through lower fares.”

The President pledged continued federal support to scale CNG infrastructure and access, expand conversion capacity, and create an enabling environment for states, transport operators, manufacturers and private investors to participate.

“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,” Tinubu said.