Transport Costs Rise as Average City Bus Fare Hits N1,431 – NBS

 

The average cost of travelling by commercial buses within Nigerian cities increased to N1,431.25 in May 2026, reflecting continued pressure on transportation expenses across the country.

This was contained in the latest Transport Fare Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed that intra-city bus fares rose by 2.43 per cent from N1,397.27 recorded in April 2026.

The report also revealed that compared with May 2025, the average city bus fare increased by 38.63 per cent from N1,032.46.

The NBS noted that transport costs rose across major categories during the period, including intercity bus services, domestic air travel, motorcycle transportation and water transport.

According to the report, the average fare for intercity bus journeys increased to N9,699.55 in May, representing a 0.96 per cent rise from N9,607.41 in April. On a year-on-year basis, the fare increased by 21.89 per cent from N7,957.41 recorded in May 2025.

Domestic air transport fares also recorded an increase, with the average cost of specified routes standing at N157,552.19 in May. This represented a 0.12 per cent monthly increase and a 20.86 per cent rise compared with N130,361.85 recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Motorcycle transportation recorded the highest annual increase among the categories tracked by the bureau, with average fares rising to N1,072.51.

The figure represents a 3.56 per cent increase from April and a 52.45 per cent rise compared with May 2025.

Water transportation fares also increased during the month, reaching N2,276.48. The figure showed a 2.41 per cent rise from April and a 30.88 per cent increase from N1,739.32 recorded in May last year.

The bureau stated that although the monthly increases were relatively moderate, transportation costs remained high nationwide.

A state-by-state breakdown showed significant differences in fares across the country. Ondo State recorded the highest average intercity bus fare at N11,080, followed by Abia State with N11,066.13, while Kwara and Edo states recorded the lowest figures.

For intra-city bus services, Zamfara State had the highest average fare at N1,878.80, followed by Taraba State at N1,771.96, while Abia and Adamawa states recorded the lowest fares.

The report further showed that Kano State recorded the highest average domestic airfare at N184,139.29, followed by Lagos State at N176,971.65, while Gombe and Nasarawa states recorded the lowest airfares.

Kaduna State recorded the highest motorcycle transport fare at N1,720.76, while Rivers State had the highest water transport fare at N6,893.55.

At the regional level, the South-West recorded the highest average fares for city buses, intercity buses and motorcycle transportation, while the South-South region recorded the highest water transport fares.