President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged state governments to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme ahead of October 1, saying cheaper energy must translate into lower transportation fares for Nigerians.
President Tinubu, in a statement said the Federal Government would support states in expanding CNG infrastructure, vehicle conversion and public transport services as global energy disruptions continue to put pressure on petrol and diesel prices.
The president said he met with the governors of Nigeria’s 36 states on August 27, where they agreed on an objective to ensure that more Nigerians begin to experience measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1.
According to him, an implementation committee was subsequently established under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Tinubu said the committee, PI-CNG & EV, state governments and other stakeholders were working to identify priority transport corridors, determine appropriate interventions and establish the infrastructure required to expand affordable energy-based transportation.
According to the president, several states are already recording significant reductions in transport fares through CNG-powered and electric vehicles.
In Borno State, he said, CNG-powered and electric public transport services are carrying commuters for between ₦50 and ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charge between ₦300 and ₦600.
In Kaduna, 100 CNG-powered buses are providing free transportation on major routes. Tinubu said the buses carried about 3.2 million passengers in their first year and saved commuters more than ₦3.5 billion in transport costs.
The president also cited the deployment of CNG buses by Pacesetter Transport in Oyo State, which reduced the Lagos-Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during the initial deployment.
In Adamawa, alternative-energy transport services have reduced fares by as much as 50 per cent, from ₦8,000 to ₦4,000, while in Enugu, the deployment of 100 CNG buses has brought the Enugu-Nsukka fare down from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500.
Tinubu said government-supported buses in Plateau carry about 13,000 commuters daily at ₦200, compared with commercial fares of more than ₦500.
He added that through a partnership with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), passengers using CNG-converted commercial vehicles on some Abuja routes were benefiting from fare reductions of about 40 per cent.
He cited the Area 1-Gwagwalada route, where fares have fallen from ₦1,500 to ₦900; Nyanya, from ₦700 to ₦420; and Wuse, from ₦400 to ₦240.
In Niger State, passengers on the Suleja-Abuja route are paying ₦550 compared with about ₦800, while Abia State has deployed 40 electric buses with fares subsidised by 50 per cent.
“These are not projections. Nigerians are already experiencing these savings,” Tinubu said.
The president commended states that had moved quickly but said further action was required to expand the programme.
He said Nigeria’s exposure to fluctuations in international energy markets could be reduced by making greater use of its abundant natural gas resources.
“Over the last three years, my administration has deliberately invested in building a CNG transportation ecosystem across Nigeria,” Tinubu said.
He stated that more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG, while the country now has more than 400 certified conversion centres and over 90 CNG refuelling stations.
Tinubu also rejected calls for a return to the petrol subsidy regime, describing it as unsustainable and saying it had exposed the economy to international oil price movements.
“At a time like this, our answer cannot be to return to the ruinous petrol subsidy regime that consumed trillions of naira and left our economy exposed to every movement in international oil prices,” he said.
The president said the government would instead accelerate the development of cheaper domestic alternatives.
He listed Edo, Kano, Delta, Kwara, Lagos and Akwa Ibom among states expanding their CNG and alternative-energy transport programmes.
According to him, Edo has 50 CNG buses in active service, Kano has converted more than 1,000 commercial vehicles, while Delta, Kwara and Lagos are expanding CNG-supported transport services. Akwa Ibom, he added, has taken delivery of 50 CNG buses ahead of commercial operations.
Tinubu urged all state governments to sustain the momentum towards October 1 by working with transport unions and commercial operators, supporting vehicle conversions and fleet deployment, and facilitating the infrastructure needed for the programme.
He also stressed that the savings generated from cheaper energy should be reflected directly in lower fares for commuters.
“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 that more Nigerians feel those savings in the fares they pay every day,” the statement concludes.
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