President Bola Tinubu and state governors are working on measures aimed at bringing down the cost of public transportation, with October 1, 2026 set as the target for Nigerians to begin seeing lower fares.
The plan will focus mainly on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles, as the government looks for ways to reduce the high cost of running commercial transport across the country.
Tinubu announced the plan after meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying the governors had agreed to take immediate steps to reduce transportation costs in their respective states.
According to the President, the biggest focus will be on intra-state transportation, because that is where many Nigerians feel the effect of rising transport costs every day.
The Federal Government says CNG can significantly reduce the amount transport operators spend on fuel. Tinubu said a vehicle running on CNG can spend 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than a similar vehicle using petrol.
The government is already expanding its CNG programme. Tinubu said more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, while more than 100,000 additional conversion kits are being processed.
More facilities are also being developed to make CNG easier to access. The President said the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund is financing more than 100 gas projects, including 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations.
Tinubu has also ordered the rollout of another 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide. This is in addition to 500 stations previously ordered, bringing the planned number to 1,000 CNG stations across the country.
To coordinate the new transport measures, the Federal Government and state governments will establish a joint committee to begin implementation immediately.
The President said the goal is simple: if the cost of fuel used by transport operators falls, commuters should also benefit through lower fares.
The move comes as Nigerians continue to face high transportation costs, which have affected workers, students, traders and businesses across the country.
However, the real test will be whether the lower operating cost from CNG and electric vehicles actually reaches passengers. The government and state authorities will have to ensure that transport operators pass the savings on to commuters.
For now, October 1 remains the target date, with the Federal Government and governors expected to work together in the coming weeks to turn the plan into cheaper transport for Nigerians.