States Yet to Implement Tinubu’s CNG Fare Reduction Directive

Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive that transportation fares should begin to fall from October 1 through the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses, commuters in several Nigerian states are still paying the same fares—and, in some cases, even higher fares.

Investigations by Newsmen on Thursday showed that the President’s directive had not yet resulted in widespread reductions in transport fares.

Some state governments have introduced subsidised or free CNG transportation services. However, these programmes remain limited in coverage, leaving millions of Nigerians dependent on commercial transport operators who continue to face high fuel, spare-parts and maintenance costs.

Transport unions in several states said they had not received CNG buses, while motorists complained about inadequate infrastructure, particularly the shortage of CNG refuelling stations and vehicle conversion centres.

The situation was particularly noticeable in Enugu, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe, Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun states, where transport fares remained largely unchanged as the October 1 target date took effect.

Tinubu’s October 1 Directive

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, on September 19, urged state governments to ensure that the savings generated by cheaper CNG-powered transportation were passed on to Nigerians through lower fares from October 1.

He made the appeal while providing an update on the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, which was established following his August 27 meeting with the 36 state governors.

According to the President, the objective agreed upon with the governors was for Nigerians to begin experiencing measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.

Tinubu urged state governments to work with transport unions and commercial operators, support vehicle conversion and fleet deployment, provide the necessary infrastructure, and ensure that the savings from cheaper energy translated into lower transport fares.

He also stated that some states were already recording reductions in transport costs through the use of CNG-powered and electric buses.

Federal Government Says Reductions Have Started

The Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Ismaeel Ahmed, said several states—including Borno, Kaduna, Zamfara and Ebonyi—had already started reducing transport fares through the use of CNG and electric vehicles.

He said fare reductions had also begun on some routes ahead of the October 1 target.

Ahmed explained that October 1 was not a deadline requiring every state to reduce fares on the same day. Instead, it was the date from which the Federal Government would begin monitoring the implementation of fare reductions across the country.

He said the Federal Government had invested heavily in CNG infrastructure and equipment over the past three years and had encouraged state governments to take responsibility for implementation at the state level.

According to him, fare reductions had already begun on several routes, although the programme had not yet reached every part of the country.

Abuja and Lagos

Ahmed said CNG buses had already been operating on several high-traffic routes in Abuja, including routes linking the Federal Secretariat, Gwagwalada and Kubwa.

He also said Lagos had started expanding its CNG bus programme following the donation of 20 CNG buses to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.

Zamfara and Ebonyi

Ahmed said Zamfara had launched 100 electric taxis with significantly reduced fares.

He added that Ebonyi State was providing free transportation for civil servants and students, although efforts were ongoing to extend the programme to more members of the public.

Borno

According to Ahmed, Borno State was using electric vehicles to provide transportation at significantly lower fares.

He said some trips that previously cost between N200 and N500 were being offered for about N15 on the electric-vehicle service.

Ahmed acknowledged that the programme had not yet reached every part of the country but said the Federal Government would continue working to expand it.

Several States Still Reporting No Reduction

Despite the Federal Government’s position, The PUNCH found that transport fares remained unchanged in many states.

Anambra

Transport fares in Anambra remained unchanged on October 1.

Passengers were paying about N700 from Upper Iweka to Oba and approximately N2,000 from Awka to Onitsha.

Some drivers said they were unaware of the Federal Government’s CNG buses, while reports indicated that CNG refuelling facilities in the state were not yet operating effectively.

Transport operator Uche Daniel blamed high spare-parts costs and poor roads for the inability of commercial operators to reduce fares.

He said poor road conditions caused frequent vehicle breakdowns and forced motorists to take longer routes.

Delta

Transport operators in Delta State also reported no reduction in fares.

Only five CNG-branded buses were observed parked at the Commissioner for Transport’s lodge in Asaba.

Emeka Okoro, Chairman of the NURTW Summit Motor Park in Asaba, said the union had not received any CNG buses and therefore had not reduced fares.

He said transport operators could not significantly reduce fares while fuel prices remained high.

Imo

Commercial transport operators in Imo State said they were yet to receive Federal Government CNG buses.

Although the state government said it had begun receiving CNG vehicles, checks at major motor parks showed that transport fares remained high.

One driver said a trip from Owerri to Akokwa cost N4,500, while Owerri to Awka could cost as much as N9,000.

Another driver said the transport system in Imo was largely controlled by private bus owners and called for a reduction in petrol prices.

Sokoto and Kebbi

Transport fares in Sokoto and Kebbi also remained unchanged.

At Sokoto’s Central Motor Park, passengers travelling to Kebbi continued to pay between N5,000 and N6,000. Trips to Kano and Kaduna cost about N20,000 on commercial buses.

In Kebbi, a journey to Sokoto remained around N5,000 on commercial buses, while state-owned vehicles charged about N3,500.

The cheaper state-owned service offered some relief, but its limited coverage meant that most passengers continued to rely on commercial operators.

Jigawa

Residents of Dutse expressed disappointment that transport fares had not fallen.

At Dutse Central Motor Park and Shuwarin Motor Park, passengers reported that fares remained unchanged.

A passenger travelling to Kano said he was still paying N3,500—the same amount he had paid the previous week.

Another commuter said the fare to Hadejia remained N5,000.

However, the Jigawa State Chairman of NARTO, Bello Usman Dunaro, said about 100 vehicles belonging to members of the union had been converted to CNG with government support.

He said the objective was to reduce transport fares and that work was still ongoing.

Gombe

Passengers in Gombe also reported no significant reduction in fares.

A passenger travelling to Abuja said transportation costs remained the same despite expectations of cheaper fares.

Another passenger said the fare to Kaduna had also not changed.

The Managing Director of the Gombe State Transport Service, Dr Sani Sabo, said the agency was exploring alternatives to prevent further increases and was working towards converting some buses to CNG.

Edo

Transport fares in Benin, Edo State, also remained unchanged.

Short-distance journeys cost between N200 and N300, while longer journeys cost about N500 to N600.

Even some vehicles already converted to CNG had not reduced their fares.

A transport union official blamed the situation on high spare-parts costs and inadequate CNG infrastructure. Some buses reportedly had to wait for several hours—or even days—to refuel.

The Edo State Government said it planned to launch 50 CNG buses with 52 seats each later in October.

The buses are expected to be distributed across the three senatorial districts according to passenger demand.

The state government said the availability of cheaper CNG transportation would put pressure on other operators to reduce their fares.

Enugu

Commuters in Enugu continued to face relatively high fares despite the operation of government-owned CNG buses.

The government buses charge a flat fare of N300, compared with N600 for some journeys on regular commercial buses.

However, the CNG buses operate mainly on major routes and during morning and evening periods. This limits their usefulness to commuters who travel outside those times.

The state government previously introduced 100 CNG mass-transit buses as part of a planned fleet of 200.

A transport union official said the union had not been properly informed about the lower fares expected under the Federal Government’s directive.

Kaduna

Kaduna is among the states where commuters have received some relief through government-supported CNG transportation.

The state operates a free CNG-powered mass-transit programme on selected routes. However, commercial transport fares outside those routes remain considerably higher.

The state government said it had deployed 100 CNG buses and that the buses carried about 3.2 million passengers during their first year of operation, saving commuters more than N3.5bn in transportation costs.

Kaduna’s Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the state operates the free CNG service across eight routes, with about 200 bus stops.

However, residents noted that the benefits were largely limited to passengers who could access those designated routes.

Plateau

Transport fares in Jos, Plateau State, also remained largely unchanged.

CNG buses were not yet operating in the state, although government-owned metro buses continued to charge N200.

One resident said he was still paying N1,000 to travel from Bukuru to Terminus—the same fare he had paid before October 1.

The Commissioner for Transport, Davou Jatau, said the state had already implemented a subsidised transportation scheme.

He said government-supported buses carried about 13,000 passengers daily for N200, compared with more than N500 charged by commercial operators.

The state was also working with the National Institute of Transport Technology in Zaria to establish a CNG and hybrid vehicle conversion centre in Jos.

The lack of CNG refuelling stations remains one of the major obstacles.

Ondo

Commercial transport fares in Ondo State also remained unchanged, and no CNG buses were observed operating across the state.

A taxi driver said he was unaware of any CNG buses being deployed and questioned how fares could be reduced while petrol prices remained high.

The state government said it was working on CNG conversion centres and additional gas outlets.

Osun

Transport fares within Osun and on interstate routes also remained unchanged.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said Osun was still waiting for CNG buses promised by the Federal Government.

He also said the state’s financial challenges had limited its ability to provide immediate subsidised transportation.

Oyo

Transport fares on major routes in Ibadan remained at the levels introduced after the increase in petrol prices.

For example, the fare from Ojoo to Mokola remained N600, compared with N500 before the latest fuel-price increase.

The journey from Ojoo to Iwo Road cost between N400 and N500.

Passengers said they had yet to see any reduction in fares following the October 1 announcement.

Ogun

There was also no immediate reduction in transport fares in Ogun State.

A journey from Kuto to Ijebu Ode remained around N3,500, regardless of whether the vehicle was powered by CNG or petrol.

Kuto to Ita-Oshin cost between N600 and N700, while Kuto to Sagamu cost N2,000 or more.

A driver said rising fuel prices, maintenance costs and the general increase in living expenses made it difficult for transport operators to reduce fares.

The Ogun State Government said it would soon announce its response to the Federal Government’s directive and outline measures designed to reduce the impact of high transportation costs on residents.

What the Situation Shows

The October 1 target has produced different results across Nigeria.

Some states have already introduced free or subsidised CNG and electric transportation, while others are still waiting for CNG buses, conversion facilities, refuelling stations or other infrastructure.

In many states, commercial transport operators say they cannot significantly reduce fares because they continue to face high petrol prices, expensive spare parts, poor roads and high maintenance costs.

The Federal Government maintains that the CNG programme is being rolled out gradually and that October 1 marked the beginning of nationwide monitoring rather than a requirement for every state to reduce fares simultaneously.

For many commuters, however, the immediate reality remains that transport costs have not yet fallen significantly, particularly on routes outside government-supported CNG and electric-vehicle networks.

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