Tinubu's Fare Reduction Promise Faces Reality Check

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced on September 19 that Nigerians were beginning to experience reductions in transport costs due to CNG-powered and electric public transport services. In his Independence Day address, he reiterated his administration's commitment to lowering the cost of living by reducing production and transportation costs.

However, investigations by Daily Trust revealed that while some states are implementing measures to fulfill this promise, transport fares remain largely unchanged in many areas. Factors such as rising petrol prices and the limited availability of CNG-powered vehicles have kept fares high.

In Kano, fares at major motor parks remained the same, with passengers paying N11,000 to Abuja, N7,000 to Kaduna and Bauchi, and N17,000 to Yola. Officials at bus stations reported no directives to reduce fares, and only one operator had introduced a CNG-powered bus without altering the fare.

In Sokoto, fares on several routes had even increased, with the fare from Sokoto to Birnin Kebbi rising from N3,500 to N5,000.