Tinubu Orders Cheaper Transport Nationwide, Unveils 500 More CNG Stations Ahead of October
- President Tinubu aims to reduce public transport fares nationwide starting October 1, 2026
- Joint committee established to ensure savings from CNG lead to lower transportation costs for Nigerians
- Nigeria plans 500 additional CNG stations to support cheaper and cleaner fuel access
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
Nigerians could soon get some relief from soaring transportation costs as President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal and state governments to work together to reduce public transport fares nationwide.
The President said Nigerians should begin to feel the impact of cheaper transportation from October 1, 2026, as governments move to pass the savings from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles to commuters.
Source: Facebook
The announcement came after Tinubu met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
The meeting followed the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu: Cheaper fuel must mean cheaper fares
Tinubu said the rising cost of intra-state transportation remains one of the areas where Nigerians experience the economic pressure most directly.
He disclosed that the Federal and state governments had agreed to establish a joint committee to immediately begin implementing measures aimed at bringing down public transportation costs.
“Intra-state transport is where Nigerians feel the cost most directly, and it is where the states hold the levers,” the President said.
He added that the governors were taking steps to ensure the benefits of cheaper energy reach ordinary Nigerians.
According to Tinubu, vehicles powered by CNG can spend 60 to 80 per cent less on fuel than petrol-powered vehicles, creating an opportunity to significantly reduce operating costs for transport operators.
“From October 1, our goal is that Nigerians begin to partake in those savings through lower transport fares,” he said.
Transport costs have soared despite CNG push
The push comes against the backdrop of steep increases in public transportation costs across the country.
Despite the government's CNG conversion programme, transport fares have continued to rise, with commuters in some locations reportedly facing increases of up to 200 per cent.
Tinubu said the new approach would focus on ensuring that lower fuel costs translate into lower fares rather than simply improving operators' margins.
The President said state governments would play a crucial role because intra-state transportation falls largely within their sphere of influence.
500 more CNG stations ordered
Tinubu also announced a major expansion of Nigeria's CNG infrastructure, directing the rollout of an additional 500 CNG refuelling stations nationwide.
The new stations will come on top of 500 stations previously ordered by the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, bringing the planned national network to 1,000 stations.
The government is also financing more than 100 gas projects, including 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations, as part of efforts to expand access to cheaper and cleaner fuel.
Over 120,000 vehicles already converted
Tinubu said more than 120,000 vehicles have already been converted to CNG nationwide, while over 100,000 additional conversion kits are currently in the pipeline.
He also noted that the government is expanding conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure across the country.
Source: UGC
The President said the Federal Government had commissioned several CNG projects in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri in May, including a 15-station refuelling network in Lagos.
He stressed that all levels of government must work together to ensure Nigerians ultimately benefit from the country's energy transition.
“Each tier of government must keep doing its part and work together for the benefit of every Nigerian,” Tinubu said.
FG rolls out 27,000 free cooking gas cylinders nationwide
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Government has expanded its clean cooking campaign with the launch of the National Grassroots LPG Access Programme (NGLPP) in Akwa Ibom State, with 27,000 filled cooking gas cylinders earmarked for distribution to women across the state.
Akwa Ibom becomes the second state to benefit from the nationwide rollout after Bayelsa State, as the government moves to increase access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and reduce reliance on traditional cooking fuels.
Source: Legit.ng
