President Bola Tinubu’s promise of cheaper transportation from October 1, 2026, has delivered lower fares on some government-backed CNG and electric-vehicle routes, but the relief remains limited as millions of commuters continue to rely on private operators charging existing or higher fares.
Checks published by The PUNCH on October 2, 2026, showed that fares remained largely unchanged in several states, including Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Edo, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun. In some locations, fares had increased.
In Lagos, The PUNCH reported on October 2 that the Ikeja-Iyana Ipaja fare had risen from ₦500 to ₦800, while a keke trip from Ikeja to Ile-Epo cost ₦800.
In Jigawa, commuters were still paying ₦3,500 from Dutse to Kano and ₦5,000 to Hadejia, while fares in Kaduna remained high amid petrol prices of about ₦1,450 to ₦1,500 per litre, according to the newspaper.
Transport operators say high fuel and maintenance costs make it difficult to cut fares without government support. The challenge is compounded by the fact that much of Nigeria’s public transport system is operated by private owners who bear the cost of vehicles, fuel and repairs.
The reductions are more visible on government-supported CNG and electric-vehicle routes.
In Enugu, government-backed CNG buses have reduced the Enugu-Nsukka fare from about ₦3,000-₦4,000 to ₦1,600, according to the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles.
In the Federal Capital Territory, CNG buses charge ₦500 on routes such as Kubwa-Berger and Apo-Nyanya, compared with about ₦1,000 on diesel buses. Other supported routes have also recorded reductions.
Lagos has seen similar cuts on selected routes. The Presidential Initiative reported that the Ikorodu-Maryland fare fell from ₦1,000 to ₦570, while Ikeja-Obalende dropped from ₦1,400 to ₦720 on the CNG-supported service.
Borno has also introduced heavily subsidised fares using electric vehicles, with fares reported at ₦50 for buses, ₦100 for taxis and ₦200 for tricycles.
Abia is offering a 50% subsidy on electric buses, while Zamfara plans electric taxis with fares expected to be about 40% lower.
The Federal Government has argued that October 1 was the beginning of nationwide monitoring rather than a deadline requiring every route to cut fares simultaneously.
Ismaeel Ahmed, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, said on October 1 that fare reductions had already begun on selected routes.
However, The PUNCH reported on October 2 that transport unions in some states had yet to receive the promised CNG buses, while inadequate refuelling infrastructure remained another obstacle.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the rollout on October 1, asking the government to publish the routes where fares had actually fallen and show how many commuters were benefiting.
For now, the picture is mixed, CNG and electric transport is delivering genuine savings on selected government-backed routes, but most commuters using conventional private transport are still waiting for the promised nationwide relief.
