Relief appears to be on the horizon for Nigerian commuters as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured the nation of a measurable reduction in transportation costs across the country starting October 1, 2026.

The presidential directive is the latest update on the rollout of the National Affordable Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Transit Programme, a flagship initiative aimed at crashing commercial transit fares by pivoting from expensive petrol to cheaper gas alternatives.

This major policy commitment was made public on Saturday in an official statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The announcement comes at a critical time when inflation and rising energy costs have placed a heavy financial strain on millions of households nationwide.

According to the statement, President Tinubu solidified this target during a high-level meeting on August 27 with the governors of all 36 states. During the executive session, the federal government and state leaders jointly adopted a clear objective to ensure citizens experience tangible financial relief at the parks by October.

To guarantee seamless execution, the administration has established a specialized implementation committee. This body operates under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and is chaired by the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The presidency disclosed that considerable groundwork is already underway, with the committee working in lockstep with the Presidential CNG Initiative and Electric Vehicle (PI-CNG & EV) team, state governments, and other critical stakeholders. Their immediate focus is to identify priority transport corridors and determine the most effective structural interventions.

Officials are currently mapping out high-traffic interstate and intra-city routes to ensure that the initial deployment of CNG-powered buses and conversion kits yields the maximum immediate impact for everyday passengers. The committee is also finalizing logistics for refueling infrastructure across the selected corridors.

President Tinubu emphasized that fast-tracking this affordable transit program has become deeply urgent for the country. He noted that the aggressive push for domestic gas utilization is a necessary shield against the shocks of the ongoing global energy crisis and volatile fuel prices.