Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed states participating in the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme to intensify efforts to deliver measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.
Tinubu said the initiative was agreed with the governors of Nigeria’s 36 states during a meeting on August 27, with an implementation committee subsequently established under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The committee is chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
In a statement issued on Saturday, September 19, Tinubu said the committee, PI-CNG & EV, state governments and other stakeholders were working to identify priority transport corridors, determine appropriate interventions and put the necessary arrangements in place.
He said the urgency of the programme had increased amid renewed pressure on global energy supplies, which has pushed up petrol and diesel prices and transportation costs in several countries.
The President cited examples from states where the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles has already reduced fares.
According to him, CNG-powered and electric public transport services in Borno carry commuters for between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600.
In Kaduna, Tinubu said 100 CNG-powered buses provide free transportation on major routes and carried about 3.2 million passengers during their first year of operation, saving commuters more than ₦3.5 billion in transport costs.
He said CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport in Oyo State reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during the initial deployment.
In Adamawa, alternative-energy transit services have reportedly reduced fares by up to 50 per cent, from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000, while in Enugu, the deployment of 100 CNG buses has reduced the Enugu-Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500.
Tinubu also said government-supported buses in Plateau transport about 13,000 commuters daily for ₦200, compared with more than ₦500 charged by commercial operators.
Through a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), he said passengers using CNG-converted commercial vehicles on some Abuja routes were receiving a 40 per cent fare reduction.
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.
The President added that passengers on the Suleja-Abuja route in Niger State were paying ₦550 compared with about ₦800, while Abia State had deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.
He commended states that had moved quickly but urged them to do more, assuring them that the Federal Government would support efforts to expand the programme.
Tinubu said Nigeria could not control developments in the global energy market but could reduce its exposure to international oil-price volatility by exploiting its abundant gas resources.
“Over the last three years, my administration has deliberately invested in building a CNG transportation ecosystem across Nigeria,” he said.
According to the President, more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, while the country now has more than 400 certified conversion centres and over 90 CNG refuelling stations.
He said the numbers were increasing daily.
Tinubu rejected calls for a return to the petrol subsidy regime, describing it as costly and arguing that it had left the economy vulnerable to movements in international oil prices.
“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.
The President instead called for accelerated investment in alternative energy and transport infrastructure.
He noted that Edo State had 50 CNG buses in active service, while Kano had converted more than 1,000 commercial vehicles and was expanding its conversion and refuelling network.
Delta, Kwara and Lagos, he said, were also expanding CNG-supported transport services, while Akwa Ibom had taken delivery of 50 CNG buses ahead of the commencement of commercial operations.
Tinubu urged all states to sustain the momentum towards October 1 by working with transport unions and commercial operators, supporting vehicle conversions and fleet deployment, and facilitating the infrastructure required for the programme.
He stressed that the key objective was to ensure that savings from cheaper energy translated into lower fares for commuters.
“The Federal Government will continue to support the scaling of CNG infrastructure and access, expand conversion capacity, and create the enabling environment for states, transport operators, manufacturers and private investors to participate,” he said.
“Now we must move faster and scale this so more Nigerians feel those savings in the fares they pay every day.”
The statement was signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and dated September 19, 2026.
