The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within Nigerian cities rose to ₦1,431.25 per trip in May 2026, highlighting continued pressure on transportation costs despite signs of easing inflation in other sectors of the economy.
This was contained in the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest Transport Fare Watch report, released on Tuesday.
According to the report, the average intra-city bus fare increased 2.43 per cent from ₦1,397.27 recorded in April 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose 38.63 per cent from ₦1,032.46 paid in May 2025.
The report also showed that transport costs increased across other major categories, including intercity bus travel, domestic air transport, motorcycle (okada) rides, and water transportation during the review period.
The NBS noted that transport fares continued to rise across virtually all categories in May, with motorcycle transportation recording the highest annual increase.
According to the data, the average fare for intercity bus travel increased to ₦9,699.55 in May, up 0.96 per cent from ₦9,607.41 in April. Compared with May 2025, the fare rose 21.89 per cent from ₦7,957.41.
Similarly, the average airfare for specified domestic routes stood at ₦157,552.19, reflecting a 0.12 per cent month-on-month increase and a 20.86 per cent rise from ₦130,361.85 recorded in May 2025.
Motorcycle transport recorded the sharpest increase among all transport categories, with the average fare rising to ₦1,072.51. This represented a 3.56 per cent increase from April and a 52.45 per cent year-on-year increase.
Water transport fares also increased to ₦2,276.48 during the month, up by 2.41 per cent from April and 30.88 per cent higher than the ₦1,739.32 recorded in May last year.
The bureau said the figures showed that transport costs remained elevated nationwide despite relatively modest monthly increases.
State-by-state analysis showed wide disparities in transport fares across the country.
Ondo State recorded the highest average intercity bus fare at ₦11,080, followed by Abia State at ₦11,066.13, while Kwara and Edo states posted the lowest average fares.
For intra-city bus transportation, Zamfara State recorded the highest average fare at ₦1,878.80, followed by Taraba State at ₦1,771.96. Abia and Adamawa states recorded the lowest city bus fares.
The report further showed that Kano State posted the highest average domestic airfare at ₦184,139.29, ahead of Lagos State at ₦176,971.65, while Gombe and Nasarawa states recorded the lowest airfares.
Kaduna State recorded the highest average fare for motorcycle transportation at ₦1,720.76, while Rivers State posted the highest average water transport fare at ₦6,893.55.
At the regional level, the South-West recorded the highest average fares for city bus services, intercity buses, and motorcycle transportation, while the South-South recorded the highest average water transport fares.
The PUNCH