President Bola Tinubu’s directive for cheaper transport fares through the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses has yet to result in widespread fare reductions across several Nigerian states.

Findings by The PUNCH, published on October 2, 2026, showed that commuters in states including Anambra, Delta, Imo, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe, Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun continued to pay existing fares after the October 1 target set by the Federal Government.

Tinubu had urged state governments on September 19 to ensure that savings from cheaper CNG-powered transportation were passed on to commuters through lower fares.

The President said the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme was designed to deliver “measurable reductions in transportation costs” following his August 27 meeting with the 36 state governors.

However, the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Ismaeel Ahmed, said October 1 was not a deadline for every state to introduce fare reductions simultaneously.

Ahmed said the date marked the beginning of federal monitoring of fare reductions on routes where CNG and electric vehicles were being deployed.

He listed Borno, Kaduna, Zamfara and Ebonyi among states where reduced or free transportation schemes had already begun.

In Borno, Ahmed said electric vehicles were charging about N15 per trip compared with fares of between N200 and N500 on some routes. Zamfara, he said, had launched 100 electric taxis, while Ebonyi was providing free transport for civil servants and students.

Kaduna has also operated a free CNG-powered mass transit scheme on selected routes. The state government said its 100 CNG buses carried about 3.2 million passengers during their first year, saving commuters more than N3.5bn.

However, the benefits remain limited to routes covered by the alternative-fuel transport schemes.

In Anambra, commuters continued to pay about N700 from Upper Iweka to Oba and around N2,000 from Awka to Onitsha. Transport operators cited poor roads, high spare-parts costs and limited CNG infrastructure as obstacles to lower fares.

Delta and Imo also recorded no immediate reduction. Transport operators in both states said they had not received CNG buses, while drivers continued to contend with high fuel and maintenance costs.

In Jigawa, passengers travelling from Dutse to Kano still paid about N3,500, although the state chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners said around 100 vehicles had been converted to CNG under the government initiative.

Gombe passengers similarly reported unchanged fares, while the state transport agency said it was exploring CNG conversion as part of efforts to prevent further fare increases.

In Edo, short-distance fares in Benin remained between N200 and N300, while longer journeys cost between N500 and N600. The state government said it planned to launch more than 50 52-seater CNG buses later in October.

Enugu provided a clearer example of the potential impact of CNG buses. Government-operated buses charge a flat N300 fare, compared with N600 on some commercial routes. However, limited routes and operating hours mean many commuters still depend on more expensive commercial buses.

In Plateau, government-supported metro buses charge N200, compared with more than N500 on some commercial routes. The state said it was also working towards establishing a CNG and hybrid vehicle conversion centre in Jos.

Meanwhile, fares remained unchanged in Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun, with state officials citing factors including the absence of CNG buses, infrastructure challenges and the cost of providing subsidised transport.

Ahmed acknowledged that the Federal Government’s alternative-fuel transport programme had not yet reached every part of the country, but said efforts would continue to expand CNG and electric vehicle deployment.

The findings highlight a gap between the Federal Government’s CNG transport policy and its implementation across many states, with cheaper fares currently concentrated on selected routes and government-supported services rather than the wider commercial transport network.