President Bola Tinubu has directed all 36 state governors to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Transit Programme to ensure Nigerians begin seeing measurable reductions in transportation fares starting October 1.
In an official statement released on Saturday, September 19, 2026, President Tinubu referred to his August 27 meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), where a joint objective was set to slash transport costs across the country using domestic alternative energy.
To ensure execution, an implementation committee chaired by the NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, was established.
Refusing calls to restore the petrol subsidy regime amid rising global energy disruptions, President Tinubu argued that Nigeria cannot control international crude prices but can insulate itself by tapping into domestic natural gas.
He noted that over the past three years, his administration has successfully built a growing CNG ecosystem with over 120,000 converted vehicles, 400 certified conversion centers, and more than 90 refueling stations nationwide.
The President highlighted several active deployments where alternative energy transit services are already delivering significant cost savings to commuters:
Demonstrated Fare Reductions Across States & Federal Capital
| Location / State | Route / Service | Commercial Fare | CNG / Electric Fare | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borno State | Intra-state public transport | ₦300 – ₦600 | ₦50 – ₦100 | 80% – 83% reduction |
| Kaduna State | Major routes (100 CNG buses) | Commercial rate | FREE | 3.2m passengers served; ₦3.5bn saved |
| Oyo State | Lagos – Ibadan (Pacesetter) | ₦8,000 | ₦3,200 | 60% reduction |
| Adamawa State | Regional transit routes | ₦8,000 | ₦4,000 | 50% reduction |
| Enugu State | Enugu – Nsukka (100 CNG buses) | ₦2,500 | ₦1,500 | 40% reduction |
| Plateau State | State-supported bus system | >₦500 | ₦200 | 60% reduction |
| Abuja (NURTW) | Area 1 – Gwagwalada | ₦1,500 | ₦900 | 40% reduction |
| Abuja (NURTW) | Nyanya route | ₦700 | ₦420 | 40% reduction |
| Abuja (NURTW) | Wuse route | ₦400 | ₦240 | 40% reduction |
| Niger State | Suleja – Abuja express | ₦800 | ₦550 | ~31% reduction |
| Abia State | State electric buses (40 units) | Commercial rate | 50% Subsidized | 50% reduction |
While commending early adopters such as Edo (50 buses), Kano (over 1,000 converted commercial vehicles), Delta, Kwara, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom (50 CNG buses received), President Tinubu stressed that more must be done to meet the October 1 deadline.
He charged governors to collaborate directly with transport unions, support vehicle conversion, expand refueling infrastructure, and strictly monitor commercial operators to ensure that cheaper energy costs directly translate into lower daily fares for the public.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV