Nigerians have spent 130.87 per cent more on motorcycle (okada) transportation over the three years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, as higher fuel prices and the depreciation of the naira continued to increase transportation costs across the country.

Analysis by The PUNCH of the National Bureau of Statistics’ Transport Fare Watch reports for May 2023 and May 2026 showed that the average fare paid for an okada trip rose from N464.55 in May 2023 to N1,072.51 in May 2026, representing an increase of N607.96, or 130.87 per cent.

The increase followed the removal of the petrol subsidy announced by Tinubu on May 29, 2023, which led to higher petrol prices nationwide. The situation was further worsened by the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market and the subsequent depreciation of the naira, which raised the cost of fuel, motorcycles, spare parts, lubricants and vehicle maintenance.

The latest NBS report also showed that transport fares continued to rise across all major categories in May 2026, including bus journeys within cities, intercity road transport, air travel and water transportation.

According to the bureau, “The average transport fare paid on Okada transportation stood at N1,072.51 in May 2026, representing a 3.56 per cent increase compared to the N1,035.69 recorded in April 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the average fare rose by 52.45 per cent, from N703.54 in May 2025 to N1,072.51 in May 2026.”

The May 2023 report put the national average at N464.55, noting that, “The average fare paid on Okada transportation in May 2023 was N464.55, a 0.49 per cent increase from the rate recorded in April 2023 (N462.29). On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 11.30 per cent when compared with the value in May 2022, which was N417.39.”

Further analysis by The PUNCH showed that the average fare for bus journeys within cities increased from N649.59 in May 2023 to N1,431.25 in May 2026, representing a rise of 120.33 per cent over the three-year period.

The average intercity bus fare also increased from N4,002.16 in May 2023 to N9,699.55 in May 2026, translating to a 142.35 per cent increase.

Air travel became more expensive during the period, with the average fare for specified domestic routes increasing from N74,948.78 to N157,552.19, representing a 110.22 per cent rise.

Water transportation also recorded higher fares, with the average fare rising from N1,045.15 in May 2023 to N2,276.48 in May 2026, an increase of 117.81 per cent.

The May 2026 report showed that bus fares within cities continued to increase on both a monthly and annual basis.

“The average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop increased by 2.43 per cent, rising from N1,397.27 in April 2026 to N1,431.25 in May 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the average fare recorded a significant increase of 38.63 per cent compared to the N1,032.46 paid in May 2025,” the bureau stated.

Intercity transport also recorded higher fares. According to the report, “The average fare paid by commuters for an intercity bus journey per drop stood at N9,699.55 in May 2026, representing a 0.96 per cent increase compared to N9,607.41 recorded in April 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the average fare rose by 21.89 per cent, from N7,957.41 in May 2025.”

For air travel, the bureau said, “The average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes for a single journey was N157,552.19 in May 2026, showing an increase of 0.12 per cent compared with the previous month (April 2026). On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 20.86 per cent from N130,361.85 in May 2025.”

The report added that the average fare for water transportation rose to N2,276.48 in May 2026, representing a 2.41 per cent monthly increase and a 30.88 per cent increase compared to May 2025.

At the state level, Kaduna recorded the highest average motorcycle transport fare at N1,720.76, followed by Lagos at N1,660.00 and Abia at N1,562.00. Adamawa recorded the lowest average fare at N761.32, followed by Akwa Ibom at N778.06 and Kebbi at N805.80.

This represents a change from May 2023, when Kwara recorded the highest average okada fare at N760.00, followed by Lagos at N750.04 and Taraba at N700.00, while Edo had the lowest fare at N158.05, followed by Bayelsa at N195.17 and Sokoto at N270.05.

For bus journeys within cities in May 2026, Zamfara recorded the highest average fare at N1,878.80, followed by Taraba at N1,771.96 and Lagos at N1,741.43. Abia recorded the lowest fare at N890.05, followed by Adamawa at N918.47 and Kano at N1,066.00.

Ondo recorded the highest average intercity bus fare at N11,080.00, followed by Abia at N11,066.13 and the Federal Capital Territory at N11,024.94. Kwara recorded the lowest fare at N7,969.29, followed by Edo at N8,000.61 and Bayelsa at N8,300.59.

Air transport fares were highest in Kano at N184,139.29, followed by Lagos at N176,971.65 and Rivers at N175,774.75. Gombe recorded the lowest average fare at N135,800.61, followed by Nasarawa at N138,999.14 and Bauchi at N142,386.79.

For water transportation, Rivers recorded the highest average fare at N6,893.55, followed by Bayelsa at N5,600.02, while Borno had the lowest fare at N1,010.50, followed by the Federal Capital Territory at N1,128.68.

Regional analysis showed that the South-West recorded the highest average fare for bus journeys within cities at N1,564.31, followed by the North-Central at N1,460.14, while the South-East recorded the lowest at N1,334.36.

For intercity travel, the South-West recorded the highest average fare at N10,138.80, followed by the North-West at N10,083.57, while the South-South recorded the lowest at N9,266.49.

The South-South recorded the highest average airfare at N163,508.93, followed by the North-West at N160,760.35, while the North-East had the lowest at N152,170.30.

Motorcycle transport fares were highest in the South-West at N1,184.15, followed by the South-East at N1,111.58, while the North-Central recorded the lowest zonal average at N998.38.

For water transportation, the South-South recorded the highest average fare at N5,112.51, followed by the South-West at N2,279.69, while the North-East had the lowest at N1,411.60.

The PUNCH recently reported that many motorists have intensified calls on the Federal Government to urgently implement measures to cushion the effects of higher petrol prices on their operations.

They said the increase had triggered higher transportation costs and worsened the daily hardship experienced by residents.