Tinubu: Nigerians to pay less for transport from October

President Bola Tinubu has said Nigerians should begin to enjoy lower transportation fares from October 1, 2026, as the Federal Government and state governments move to leverage compressed natural gas and electric vehicles to reduce the cost of public transportation.

Tinubu disclosed this after meeting with members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum at the State House, Abuja, where he said the governors had agreed to take immediate measures to reduce transportation costs in their respective states.

According to the President, the initiative will focus particularly on intra-state transportation, where he said Nigerians feel the impact of high fares most directly.

“Intra-state transport is where Nigerians feel the cost most directly, and it is where the states hold the levers,” Tinubu said.

He said the Federal and state governments had agreed to establish a joint committee to begin implementing measures aimed at translating the lower operating costs of alternative fuels into cheaper fares for commuters.

Tinubu said vehicles powered by compressed natural gas could spend between 60 and 80 per cent less on fuel than petrol-powered vehicles.

“From October 1, our goal is that Nigerians begin to partake in those savings through lower transport fares. We have agreed that cheaper fuel should result in cheaper fares,” he said.

The President said more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG nationwide under the Presidential CNG Initiative, while more than 100,000 additional conversion kits were being processed.

He added that the Federal Government was financing more than 100 gas infrastructure projects through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund.

The projects include 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations, according to the President.

Tinubu also disclosed that he had directed the rollout of an additional 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide.

The new stations are expected to be added to the 500 stations previously ordered, bringing the planned national network to 1,000 CNG refuelling stations.

The President said the success of the initiative would require cooperation between the Federal Government and the states.

“Each tier of government must keep doing its part and work together for the benefit of every Nigerian,” he said.

The planned reduction in transport fares comes amid sustained concerns over the cost of commuting across Nigeria.

However, transport unions and other stakeholders have raised questions about the implementation of the October 1 target, with the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles indicating that the rollout would be phased and involve state-by-state engagement.

The Federal Government has continued to promote CNG as part of its broader energy-transition programme, with the objective of reducing dependence on petrol and lowering operating costs for transport operators.