The Federal Government’s promise in August to slash transport costs by October 1st sounded exciting, but the magic to make it happen in a matter of weeks has yet to become a reality. This government had all the time to lower the cost of living, including transport, but it’s been promises not matched by commitment. Mr President, Nigerians are tired of stories.

In three years, after the removal of the petrol subsidy, transport has been a major driver of inflation and household spending, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Between 2023 and 2024, the NBS reported a 77 per cent increase in fares. SBM Intelligence similarly reported that the removal of the fuel subsidy pushed transport costs up by the same amount. It has refused to come down.

Following a meeting with governors on August 27, 2026, President Bola Tinubu announced that a joint federal and state committee would implement immediate measures to bring down the cost of transport in their respective states, by leveraging lower-cost opportunities in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles.

President Tinubu said: “I am pleased with my discussion with the Governors’ Forum this afternoon. The governors have, on their own initiative, resolved to take immediate measures to bring down the cost of transport in their states, with a strong focus on leveraging the cost benefits of CNG and electric vehicles.” He said the Federal Government had already invested significantly in the energy transition through the Presidential CNG Initiative, with over 120,000 vehicles converted nationwide and more than 100,000 additional conversion kits in the works.

Tinubu added: “At the same time, we continue to expand conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure nationwide. The Federal Government, through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, is currently financing more than 100 gas projects across the country, including 15 CNG mother stations and 86 daughter stations. In May, I commissioned four of these projects in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri, including a 12-station refuelling network in Lagos and an Abuja facility that can serve 1,000 cars and tricycles and 50 trucks and buses a day.”

Too little, too late, Mr President. While it is commendable that government has admitted the hardship caused by subsidy removal, we still don’t see the urgency and commitment in this latest promise. We rather see a government that is profuse in promises and poor in delivery. This government has three and a half years to plough back subsidy proceeds into safety nets for the benefit of Nigerians. That did not happen. Now that elections are months away, it’s time for another round of promises. Nigerians are wiser.

We take note that President Tinubu’s government merely reacted to the counterargument by Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the African Democratic Change (ADC), to redesign the fuel subsidy policy to alleviate its impact on citizens. Whatever the nuances of the subsidy debate, we demand that the welfare of Nigerians must be prioritised by the government. It is unserious for the government and the political class to exploit the welfare of citizens for podium rhetoric.

We recall that in August 2023, President Tinubu promised Nigerians 3,000 units of 20-seater CNG buses. That was supposed to be a N100 billion investment targeted to deliver in March 2024. The vehicles were to be shared with states and local governments “based on intensity of travel per capita.” The government also promised credit facilities to transport companies at nine per cent interest for five years. The Presidential Initiative on CNG promised 5,500 CNG vehicles, 100 electric buses, 20,000 conversion kits, 100 conversion workshops, and 60 refuelling sites across 18 states. Between March 2024 and August 2025, the Federal Government said it shared N2.45 trillion in infrastructure support for states to intervene in transport, health, education and rural roads.

But the reality today is that the CNG intervention has delivered barely 12 per cent of what the government promised, with Nigerians still spending heavily on petrol. Latest field reports say there are just 90 functional CNG refuelling stations nationwide. The $2 billion investment promised to deliver around 120,000 conversions at around 400 conversion centres remains far short of the one million vehicles targeted. The cost of retrofitting personal and commercial vehicles is still high, despite government intervention. There are also poor distribution networks and limited gas transport trucks to support the system.

Though states have launched CNG schemes, the deployment of CNG buses is too few to make an impact. Lagos, with a huge population of workers, is yet to scale up the CNG transition. It has deployed just 20 CNG buses since November 2024. For other states, the investment in CNG is stuck at a pilot phase. Many states are still at the policy stage and are yet to have CNG filling stations. We could not see the magic they would have performed in weeks.
We urge the government to match words with action. Where there is a will, government can achieve a lot.

Besides, the safety aspects of CNG must be taken seriously. The larger population is yet to acclimatise to the technology. CNG is safe when installed and maintained according to standards. We recommend more education and training for users. We urge the government to avoid a knee-jerk approach to solving problems. Let there be processes and procedures for governance. Let the government keep its promises.