RismadarVoice Reporters
September 19, 2026
President Bola Tinubu says Nigerians should begin to see reductions in transportation costs from October 1, 2026, as the Federal Government and states move to expand cheaper public transport powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles.
The October 1 date is a government target rather than a guaranteed uniform reduction in fares nationwide, with implementation expected to differ across states depending on available vehicles, infrastructure, routes and agreements with transport operators. Official updates indicate that several states are progressing towards the target.
Tinubu said the Federal Government and governors had agreed on measures aimed at ensuring that the lower operating costs associated with alternative-fuel vehicles translate into savings for commuters.
“From October 1, our goal is that Nigerians begin to partake in those savings through lower transport fares,” the President said.
STATES TO DRIVE IMPLEMENTATION
Under the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, state governments are expected to identify priority routes and determine interventions suited to their transport systems.
The implementation framework involves state governments, the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles and other stakeholders.
The programme is designed to support CNG vehicle conversions, transport fleets and related infrastructure while encouraging participating operators to pass lower operating costs to passengers.
Kwara State Governor and Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is leading the governors’ involvement in the initiative.
The Federal Government has increasingly promoted CNG and electric mobility as alternatives capable of reducing transport operating costs and easing pressure on commuters.
However, the extent and timing of actual fare reductions will depend on implementation within individual states and participation by transport operators. The October 1 target therefore does not necessarily mean that every route or commuter nationwide will experience an immediate reduction on that date.
The government says the objective is for lower energy costs to translate into measurable savings for Nigerians rather than remain solely a benefit to transport operators.
