October 2, 2026 |
The Federal Government’s ambitious plan to reduce transportation costs through Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses has suffered major implementation setbacks across several states, with commuters continuing to pay the same—or even higher—fares despite President Bola Tinubu’s October 1 target.
Findings published in the early hours of Thursday, October 2, 2026, showed that the promised nationwide reduction in transport fares had not materialised across many states. Checks conducted as the October 1 target took effect found that commuters in several locations were still relying largely on conventional commercial buses.
The development comes barely two weeks after President Tinubu directed state governments to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, following an August 27 meeting with the 36 state governors.
On September 19, the President said the objective was for more Nigerians to begin experiencing “measurable reductions” in transportation costs from October 1. He specifically urged states to work with transport unions, support vehicle conversion and fleet deployment, and provide the infrastructure required.
States struggle to meet target
According to the latest findings, transport fares remained largely unchanged in Enugu, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe, Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun, among other states.
Transport unions in some states said they had not received the promised CNG buses, while motorists and operators pointed to inadequate refuelling facilities and conversion centres as major obstacles.
The problems expose the gap between the Federal Government’s CNG ambitions and implementation at the state level.
Infrastructure remains major obstacle
A report published by The Guardian on October 1, 2026, at 5:00 a.m. identified infrastructure and execution gaps as major challenges facing the programme.
Although the number of CNG refuelling stations has expanded significantly, infrastructure remains unevenly distributed across the country. Some states have buses or conversion facilities but lack sufficient refuelling infrastructure to support large-scale operations.
In Ekiti, for example, seven conversion centres were reportedly awaiting operations while the state lacked a CNG filling station.
Other states have similarly been at different stages of preparing the infrastructure required to make CNG transportation commercially viable.
Not every state has failed
Despite the setbacks, the programme has recorded measurable progress in some states.
The Presidency reported that Kaduna has 100 CNG buses providing free transportation on major routes, while Enugu deployed 100 CNG buses and reduced the Enugu–Nsukka fare from ₦2,500 to ₦1,500.
In Oyo, CNG buses reportedly reduced the Lagos–Ibadan fare from about ₦8,000 to ₦3,200 during initial deployment.
Borno also introduced CNG and electric public transport services with fares of between ₦50 and ₦100 on some routes where commercial operators charged between ₦300 and ₦600.
The Federal Government also says more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG, while more than 90 refuelling stations are operating nationwide.
Government’s explanation
The Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles has disputed the interpretation that October 1 represented a one-day deadline for every state to slash fares.
Its Executive Chairman, Ismaeel Ahmed, said the date should instead be viewed as the point from which the Federal Government would begin monitoring the nationwide rollout.
He said fare reductions had already begun on some routes and would expand as states deploy more vehicles and infrastructure.
What went wrong?
The problems emerging from the rollout include:
- Delayed deployment of CNG buses in some states.
- Insufficient CNG refuelling stations.
- Inadequate vehicle conversion centres.
- Weak coordination between federal and state authorities.
- Limited participation by commercial transport operators.
- Financing and procurement challenges.
- Uneven infrastructure across regions.
- Difficulty translating cheaper CNG operating costs into lower fares for privately operated commercial vehicles.
The Presidential Initiative itself acknowledged that the next phase would require more routes, additional refuelling and charging infrastructure and more vehicles in commercial transportation.
The bigger question
The latest development puts the Federal Government’s CNG strategy under renewed scrutiny.
The central issue is no longer simply whether Nigeria can convert vehicles to CNG, but whether the cheaper fuel can be translated into sustained and widespread reductions in the fares paid by ordinary Nigerians.
While some states have demonstrated that CNG-supported transport can substantially reduce fares, the experience across several other states shows that the national rollout remains uneven.
For millions of commuters still paying high fares, the October 1 target has therefore become less of a nationwide transformation and more of a test of whether federal and state governments can turn the CNG investment into tangible savings on everyday transportation.
