The average fare Nigerian commuters paid for intercity bus travel in September 2024 reached N7,175.06, showing a slight increase of 0.22% from the previous month and a 21.26% increase from N5,917.16 registered in September 2023.

This data was obtained from the Transport Fare Watch report for September 2024, published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“The average fare paid by commuters for intercity bus journeys per drop was N7,175.06 in September 2024, showing a month-on-month increase of 0.22% compared to N7,159.00 in August 2024. per annum, the tariff increased by 21.26% from N5,917.16 in September 2023. the NBS report stated in part.

States analysis

The report also revealed that Anambra State recorded the highest intercity bus fare (state route charged per person) in September with N9,587.27, followed by Gombe with N8,330.05.

• The lowest fare was recorded in Kwara at N5,579.42, followed by Ebonyi at N5,611.06.

• On the regional front, the South-South zone had the highest average fare at N7,673.87, followed by the South-East with N7,351.05, while the North-Central zone recorded the lowest fare at N6,886.06.

• The average fare for intracity bus journeys increased by 3.45% from August, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 32.38%.

Other modes of transport

In air travel, fares increased by 0.80% from the previous month and saw a significant year-on-year increase of 57.81%.

For motorcycle transport (Okada), the average fare increased by 1.48% month-on-month, but decreased by 26.04% compared to September 2023.

• Water freight rates also saw a month-on-month increase of 1.30%, with a year-on-year increase of 4.36%.

• For intracity bus travel, Zamfara had the highest fare while Adamawa recorded the lowest fare.

• The highest motorcycle fare was observed in Lagos at N927.07 with the lowest in Anambra at N318.95. Water transport rates were highest in Bayelsa with an average of N4,573.16 and lowest in Borno at N471.01.

• The area analysis showed that the South West had the highest fares for intracity bus and air travel, while the South East had the lowest intracity bus fares.

• In terms of motorcycle fares, the South West also led, while the South East had the lowest. The South-South zone had the highest water transport rate, followed by the South-West, while the North-East had the least

The background story

Following the removal of fuel subsidies by the current administration in May 2023, transport costs in Nigeria have increased significantly. In August 2024, the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, increased sharply from N770.54 in July to N830.46, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

• This represents a monthly increase of 7.78%, which coincides with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited acknowledging a substantial $6 million subsidy debt. Year-on-year, the price of petrol increased by 32.51% from N626.70 in the same period last year to N830.46 this year.
• In response to these rising costs, the federal government has stepped up efforts to promote Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a more affordable alternative to gasoline and diesel. To facilitate this transition, the federal government launched its CNG Conversion Incentive Program to eight states, with plans to expand to nine additional states by the end of 2024.

Currently participating states include Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa. In Lagos, commercial vehicle owners can avail of free CNG conversions at six approved centers under the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi).

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