The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is considering measures to reduce transportation fares nationwide through the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme (NACTP).
The initiative is expected to leverage the lower operating costs of compressed natural gas (CNG) to provide more affordable public transportation for Nigerians.
The governors disclosed this in a communiqué issued after their meeting in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the NGF.
Under the proposed programme, state governments are expected to support vehicle conversions to CNG, provide transport fleets and facilitate the development of the necessary infrastructure.
Participating transport operators, in turn, would commit to reducing passenger fares.
The NGF did not announce a commencement date, saying further work was required to finalise the financing and implementation framework of the programme.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, said the initiative was part of the governors’ response to the economic pressure caused by high transportation costs, particularly following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
“Transportation is key,” Diri said.
He explained that transportation costs are ultimately reflected in the prices of goods and services because of the cost involved in moving food and other commodities from one location to another.
According to him, lowering transport costs through CNG adoption could have a “multiplier effect” across several sectors of the economy.
Diri said gas is cheaper than petrol, making CNG a potentially viable alternative for reducing the operating costs of commercial transport vehicles.
He added that the focus was on finding practical measures to cushion the impact of subsidy removal on Nigerians rather than returning to a system that had previously placed significant pressure on government finances.
“The impact is expected to be on our people—the very common man that we all talk about,” the governor said.
Diri also dismissed suggestions that state governments had failed to account for funds accruing to them following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
“That cannot be true. But we will leave that debate for another day,” he said.
At the meeting, the NGF also received a presentation from Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on opportunities for states to participate in CANEX Weekend 2026 and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2027.
Both events are scheduled to take place in Lagos.
Boluwatife Enome
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