President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged state governments to accelerate the implementation of affordable Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transportation initiatives to ensure that more Nigerians benefit from reduced transport fares from 1 October 2026.
The President made the call in a statement issued on Saturday, 19 September 2026, highlighting ongoing efforts by the Federal Government and state governments to cushion the impact of rising global energy prices on transportation.
Tinubu said he reached an agreement with the governors of the 36 states on August 27 to pursue measurable reductions in transportation costs.
He disclosed that an implementation committee for the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme had been established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
According to him, the committee, alongside PI-CNG and EV, state governments and other stakeholders, is working to identify priority transport corridors and establish interventions to reduce fares.
The President cited several examples of states where alternative-energy transportation had already lowered commuting costs.
He said CNG-powered and electric public transport services in Borno were charging between N50 and N100 on routes where commercial operators charged between N300 and N600.
Tinubu also disclosed that 100 CNG-powered buses in Kaduna provided free transportation on major routes, carrying approximately 3.2 million passengers in their first year and saving commuters more than N3.5 billion.
In Oyo State, he said, CNG buses deployed to Pacesetter Transport reduced the Lagos–Ibadan fare from about N8,000 to N3,200 during the initial deployment.
He added that alternative-energy transport services had reduced fares in Adamawa by as much as 50 per cent, while CNG buses in Enugu brought the Enugu–Nsukka fare down from N2,500 to N1,500.
The President further stated that government-supported buses in Plateau transported about 13,000 commuters daily at N200, compared with commercial fares exceeding N500.
He noted that, through a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), passengers using CNG-converted commercial vehicles on some Abuja routes had benefited from a 40 per cent fare reduction.
Tinubu said fares on the Area 1–Gwagwalada route had dropped from N1,500 to N900, Nyanya from N700 to N420, and Wuse from N400 to N240.
He also cited fare reductions on the Suleja–Abuja route in Niger State and the deployment of 40 electric buses in Abia State, where fares had been subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” the President said.
He commended state governments that had embraced alternative-energy transportation but urged them to do more to expand the initiatives.
Tinubu said disruptions to global energy supplies were putting pressure on petrol and diesel prices, thereby increasing transportation costs worldwide.
He noted that although Nigeria could not control global energy markets, its status as a gas-rich country provided an opportunity to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel.
The President said his administration had, over the past three years, invested in developing a CNG transportation ecosystem across the country.
According to him, more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, while Nigeria now has over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 CNG refuelling stations.
Tinubu rejected calls to return to the former petrol subsidy regime, describing it as costly and harmful to the economy.
He instead called for accelerated investment in cheaper energy alternatives.
The President said 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.
He added that Delta, Kwara and Lagos states were expanding CNG-supported transportation services, while Akwa Ibom had taken delivery of 50 CNG buses ahead of commercial operations.
Tinubu urged all states to sustain the momentum towards 1 October 2026 by working with transport unions and commercial operators, supporting vehicle conversions and fleet deployment, and facilitating the necessary infrastructure.
He emphasised that the savings from cheaper energy must translate into lower fares for Nigerians.
“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.”
