BREAKING: Tinubu Orders Transport Fare Cut From October 1 As CNG Buses Roll Out Nationwide

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that Nigerians should begin to experience lower transportation costs from October 1, 2026, as the Federal Government and state governments intensify the rollout of affordable CNG-powered and electric public transportation across the country.

The President disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, September 19, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, as part of an update on the National Affordable Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Transit Programme.

Agreement With Governors and New Committee

According to President Tinubu, the plan followed a meeting he held with the 36 state governors on August 27, 2026, during which they agreed to work towards reducing the burden of transportation costs on Nigerians. Following the meeting, an implementation committee was established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), with Kwara State Governor and NGF Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, serving as chairman.

“From October 1, more Nigerians should begin to see measurable reductions in transportation costs. Intra-state transport is where Nigerians feel the cost most directly, and it is where the states hold the levers.” - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The President explained that the committee, alongside the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV), state governments and other stakeholders, is already working to identify priority transport corridors and ensure the benefits of cheaper energy reach commuters.

How Much Fares Have Dropped in Some States

President Tinubu cited ongoing CNG and electric transport initiatives across several states as evidence that lower-cost energy can translate into cheaper fares. In Borno State, CNG-powered and electric public transport services now carry commuters for between N50 and N100 on routes where commercial operators charge between N300 and N600.

In Kaduna State, 100 CNG-powered buses are providing free transportation on major routes, carrying about 3.2 million passengers in their first year and saving commuters more than N3.5 billion. In Oyo State, Pacesetter Transport reduced Lagos-Ibadan fare from about N8,000 to N3,200 during initial CNG deployment, while in Enugu, the Enugu-Nsukka fare fell from N2,500 to N1,500 after deployment of 100 CNG buses. Plateau State government-supported buses now transport about 13,000 commuters daily at N200, compared with commercial fares exceeding N500.

Federal Government CNG Investment So Far

The administration said it has positioned CNG and electric vehicles as part of its strategy to reduce transport costs by cutting fuel expenses for commercial vehicles by 60 to 80 percent compared to petrol. The government revealed that more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG nationwide, with over 400 certified conversion centres, over 90 CNG refuelling stations, and 7,700 trained technicians.