The Federal Government has reported transport fare reductions of between 15 and 50 per cent on routes participating in its compressed natural gas (CNG) transition programme, as it expands the deployment of gas-powered buses and refuelling infrastructure across Nigeria.
The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PI-CNG & EV) disclosed the figures during a media engagement organised in Kano on Thursday by the Decade of Gas Secretariat in collaboration with the initiative.
Also read: FG commissions four substations, adds 544MW in Kano
The initiative’s presentation, however, did not identify the routes where the reductions were recorded or provide examples of fares before and after the introduction of CNG buses.
The Chief Operating Officer of PI-CNG & EV, Tosin Coker, said CNG could help lower transportation costs, strengthen energy security and support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner mobility.
“CNG can help reduce transportation costs and support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner mobility, but safety must remain a priority,” Coker said.
She urged vehicle owners to use certified conversion centres, approved equipment and ensure proper vehicle maintenance.
PI-CNG & EV said 670 CNG buses had been deployed nationwide.
Of these, 285 were operating commercially across 13 states, while 302 had been allocated to transport unions, students and government agencies.
The presentation did not clarify the status of the remaining 83 buses or whether the commercial and allocation categories overlapped.
The initiative said additional CNG buses and tricycles were on order to expand access to more affordable public transportation.
In Kano, it reported the deployment of 25 additional buses to complement earlier commercial operations.
The state was described as a strategic centre for cleaner mobility in Northern Nigeria, with seven operational CNG refuelling stations and 17 others at various stages of completion.
PI-CNG & EV also said plans were underway to establish 127 additional refuelling stations across 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
At the engagement, the Workstream Lead for Infrastructure and Demand at the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Taofeek Balogun, said Nigeria’s proven gas reserves had risen from 208.83 trillion cubic feet in 2023 to 215.19 trillion cubic feet as of January 2026.
He added that average gas production had increased from 6.86 billion cubic feet per day to approximately 7.5 billion cubic feet per day, while domestic gas supply had exceeded two billion cubic feet per day.
Balogun said four major gas projects had attracted $3.5bn in committed investments.
He added that the OB3 Gas Pipeline had been completed, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline was about 95 per cent complete.
He also disclosed that N671bn in public infrastructure funding had attracted approximately N1.6tn in private investment.
The government’s liquefied petroleum gas programme, he said, was targeting five million households by 2030.
The reported fare reductions offer a potential benefit to commuters facing high transport costs, but the absence of route-specific fares makes it difficult to assess the savings available to individual passengers.
The programme’s wider impact will also depend on the availability of refuelling stations, the number of buses operating commercially and the reliability of services across participating states.
Coker stressed that safety must remain central to the transition, particularly for vehicle owners converting their vehicles to run on CNG.
Also read: FG commissions four substations, adds 544MW in Kano
The Decade of Gas Secretariat and PI-CNG & EV reaffirmed their commitment to public education, media engagement and stakeholder collaboration as Nigeria pursues its gas development and cleaner transportation agenda.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
