The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within Nigerian cities declined slightly by 0.16%, from N969.32 in March 2024 to N967.76 in April 2024.
This data comes from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Transport Fare Watch for April 2024, recently published on the NBS website.
Despite the monthly decline, the report also highlighted a significant year-on-year increase of 49.32%, with fares rising from N648.12 in April 2023 to N967.76 in April 2024.
“The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop declined to 0.16% from N969.32 in March 2024 to N967.76 in April 2024. On a year-on-year basis, it rose by 49.32% from N648.12 in April 2023,” the report stated.
Taraba State recorded the highest average fare for bus journeys within cities at N1,450 per drop.
Ondo State followed with N1,200 per drop, while Imo and Lagos States shared the third position at N1,150 per drop.
Conversely, Abia State had the lowest average fare for bus journeys within cities, with commuters paying N500 per drop.
Adamawa State followed with N590 per drop, and Sokoto State ranked third among the states with the lowest average fare, at N650 per drop.
The NBS report also detailed changes in bus fare prices across different geopolitical zones in April 2024:
North Central Zone: The average fare for bus journeys within cities was N955.71, a slight decrease of 0.74% from N962.86 in March 2024. However, this fare represents a significant 49.43% increase compared to the N639.57 recorded in April 2023.
North East Zone: Commuters paid an average fare of N983.33 for bus journeys within cities, marking a small decline of 0.34% from the N986.67 paid in March 2024. This fare is still a substantial 40.57% increase from the N699.54 recorded in April 2023.
North West Zone: The average fare for intra-city bus journeys was N964.29, indicating a 0.45% rise from N960.00 in March 2024. This fare also signifies a 48.49% increase compared to the N649.41 recorded in April 2023.
South East Region: The average fare for bus journeys within cities was N926.00, showing a 1.09% increase from the N916.00 recorded in March 2024. Compared to April 2023, when the fare was N617.15, this marks a significant 50.00% rise.
South West Zone: Commuters paid an average of N988.33 for bus journeys within cities, representing a 0.51% increase from N983.33 in March 2024, and a notable 59.81% rise from the N619.45 recorded in April 2023.
South South Zone: The average fare for bus journeys within cities was N984.50, reflecting a 1.63% decline from N1,000.83 in March 2024. Despite this decrease, the fare is still 49.02% higher than the N660.66 recorded in April 2023.
