Tinubu: Transport Fares to Drop Nationwide From October 2026 as CNG Savings Reach Commuters
By Aboki Forex —
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal and state governments to cut public transport fares across Nigeria, with commuters expected to start benefiting from October 1, 2026. He made the announcement after meeting governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
The meeting followed the National Economic Council (NEC) session presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Tinubu said the rising cost of intra-state transportation is one of the areas where Nigerians feel economic pressure most directly.
CNG savings to lower fares
The President said the government will pass savings from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles to commuters. A joint committee has been established to begin implementing measures aimed at bringing down public transportation costs.
“Intra-state transport is where Nigerians feel the cost most directly, and it is where the states hold the levers,” Tinubu said.
He explained that CNG-powered vehicles can spend 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than petrol-powered vehicles, creating room to reduce operating costs for transport operators.
“From October 1, our goal is that Nigerians begin to partake in those savings through lower transport fares,” he said.
Stations, conversions and infrastructure
Tinubu announced an expansion of Nigeria's CNG infrastructure, directing the rollout of an additional 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide. These will come on top of 500 stations previously ordered by the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, bringing the planned national network to 1,000 stations.
The government is also financing more than 100 gas projects, including 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations, to expand access to cheaper and cleaner fuel.
More than 120,000 vehicles have already been converted to CNG nationwide, with over 100,000 additional conversion kits in the pipeline. The President noted that conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure are being expanded across the country.
He also said the Federal Government commissioned several CNG projects in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri in May, including a 15-station refuelling network in Lagos.
Pressure from rising transport costs
The push comes as public transportation costs continue to climb. Despite the government's CNG conversion programme, commuters in some locations have reportedly faced fare increases of up to 200 per cent.
Tinubu said the new approach will ensure lower fuel costs translate into lower fares, rather than simply improving operators' margins. State governments will play a key role because intra-state transportation falls largely within their control.
“Each tier of government must keep doing its part and work together for the benefit of every Nigerian,” Tinubu said.
For Nigerian commuters, the planned fare reduction from October 2026 offers a clear timeline for relief, but much depends on how quickly states and transport operators adopt the CNG savings and pass them on.