The cost of bus transportation across Nigeria has increased again in April 2026, according to the latest Transport Fare Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The average fare for intra-city bus journeys stood at N1,397.27, representing a 1.73% month-on-month increase from N1,373.49 recorded in March 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 39.83% compared to N999.27 in April 2025.
Intercity Bus Fares Also Rise
The NBS report further disclosed that the average fare for intercity bus journeys reached N9,607.41 in April 2026, up 0.45% from N9,564.12 in March 2026. Compared to the same period last year, this represents a 21.58% increase from N7,902.08 in April 2025.
State-by-State Breakdown
The report highlighted significant variations in transport costs across states. For intercity bus travel, Abia State recorded the highest fare at N10,998.89, followed by Ondo State with N10,978.07. The lowest intercity fares were recorded in Kwara State at N7,900.10 and Edo State at N7,953.13.
For intra-city bus journeys, Zamfara State had the highest fare at N1,803.10, followed by Lagos State at N1,704.03, Taraba State at N1,703.88, Osun State at N1,600.48, and Ogun State at N1,582.37. Conversely, the lowest intra-city fares were recorded in Abia State at N850.98 and Adamawa State at N911.65.
Zonal Analysis
On a zonal basis, the South-West recorded the highest average intra-city fare at N1,525.13, followed by the North-Central zone with N1,434.94. The South-East zone had the lowest average intra-city fare at N1,294.77. For intercity travel, the South-West zone again topped with an average fare of N10,027.17, followed by the North-West at N9,992.97, while the South-South zone recorded the lowest at N9,183.65.
Top 10 States for Highest Intercity Fares
- Abia – N10,998.89
- Ondo – N10,978.07
- Abuja – N10,950.49
- Ogun – N10,773.64
- Kaduna – N10,560.13
- Katsina – N10,402.12
- Enugu – N10,230.78
- Zamfara – N10,085.53
- Cross River – N10,056.60
- Lagos – N10,045.08
Top 10 States for Highest Intra-City Fares
- Zamfara – N1,803.10
- Lagos – N1,704.03
- Taraba – N1,703.88
- Osun – N1,600.48
- Ogun – N1,582.37
- Benue – N1,578.92
- Enugu – N1,565.64
- Kaduna – N1,527.95
- Cross River – N1,524.20
- Nasarawa – N1,502.11
The continuous rise in transport fares adds further pressure on households already grappling with higher living costs. The increase reflects ongoing inflationary pressures in the Nigerian economy.
