Nigerians await cheaper transport fares as Tinubu’s October 1 deadline passes
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has yet to clarify its commitment to a nationwide reduction in transportation fares, leaving many Nigerians eager for updates on the effects of this initiative.
During a meeting with state governors on August 27, President Tinubu announced that measurable reductions in transportation costs were expected to begin on October 1. He indicated that this decrease would be facilitated through the National Affordable Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Transit Programme, part of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV). As part of this effort, he directed the establishment of an additional 500 CNG refueling stations across the country.
However, as October progresses, the anticipated impact of these changes appears limited, with transportation costs remaining high in various regions. Contacted for comment, presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare had not responded as of the time of this report.
In the political arena, Atiku Abubakar, the opposition leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President, has raised concerns about the implementation of the promised fare reductions. Conversely, Ismaeel Ahmed, the Executive Chairman of the Pi-CNG & EV, stated that some reductions have already been observed on specific routes. He mentioned that commuters using CNG-powered buses on the Gwagwalada-Abuja route, for instance, could save approximately 40 percent compared to those utilizing traditional modes of transportation.
Despite the rollout of the CNG initiative by the Federal Government in multiple states, transport fares have largely remained high. In Abuja and surrounding areas, fuel prices fluctuate between N1,370 and N1,410 per liter, while diesel prices range from N1,940 to N2,000, depending on the location. Although there has been a slight decline of N20 to N25 per liter in fuel prices, they are still elevated in the context of current crude oil prices, which hover around $100 for Brent and $89 for West Texas Intermediate (WTI).
Auwal Rafsanjani, the Country Director of Transparency International Nigeria, commented on the situation, attributing the issue to a lack of public accountability among Nigerian leaders. He criticized the tendency of public officials to make unfulfilled promises, which undermines trust in governance. Rafsanjani emphasized that the absence of effective mechanisms to ensure the realization of such promises contributes to public disillusionment. He expressed concern that leaders should not rush to make announcements without being prepared to implement them, as doing so raises expectations that often go unmet.
