CNG: Tinubu urges states to scale up cheaper transport before October 1

President Bola Tinubu has directed states to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, with the goal of delivering measurable reductions in transportation costs to more Nigerians from October 1, 2026. Tinubu disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the initiative was agreed upon with the 36 state governors during a meeting on August 27.

He said an implementation committee had subsequently been established under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State. “I am 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,” Tinubu said.

“This work has become even more urgent amid the current global energy crisis.”

CNG for Lower Transport Costs

The President highlighted examples from states where the deployment of CNG and electric-powered transport had already resulted in lower fares for commuters.

In Borno, he said, CNG-powered and electric public transport services carry commuters for between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600.
He said that in Kaduna, 100 CNG-powered buses provide free transportation on major routes.
According to Tinubu, the buses carried about 3.2 million passengers during their first year of operation, saving commuters more than ₦3.5 billion in transport costs.

In Oyo, the deployment of CNG buses to Pacesetter Transport reduced the Lagos–Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during the initial deployment, he said.
Tinubu also cited reductions in Adamawa, where he said alternative-energy transit services had cut fares by as much as 50 per cent, from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000, and in Enugu, where the deployment of 100 CNG buses reduced the Enugu–Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500.
He said that government-supported buses transport about 13,000 commuters daily in Plateau at ₦200, compared with more than ₦500 commercially.

The President said that through a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, passengers using CNG-converted commercial vehicles on several Abuja commuter routes were also benefiting from fare reductions of 40 per cent. Tinubu said the Area 1–Gwagwalada fare had fallen from ₦1,500 to ₦900, Nyanya from ₦700 to ₦420, and Wuse from ₦400 to ₦240.

He further disclosed that in Niger, passengers on the Suleja–Abuja route pay ₦550 compared with about ₦800, while Abia had deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” the President said.