The average fare paid for bus journeys within Nigerian cities increased to ₦1,431.25 per trip in May 2026, reflecting sustained pressure on household transportation costs despite a slower pace of inflation in parts of the economy, according to the latest Transport Fare Watch released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report showed that intra-city bus fares rose by 2.43% compared with ₦1,397.27 recorded in April 2026 and were 38.63% higher than the ₦1,032.46 paid in May 2025. The increase forms part of a broader upward trend across multiple transport categories, including intercity bus travel, domestic air travel, motorcycle services and water transportation.
According to Brandspur Banking News Desk, the NBS data indicates that transport costs remained elevated nationwide throughout May, with motorcycle transportation recording the sharpest annual increase among all categories. The figures underscore the continued burden of mobility costs on households and businesses across the country.
Intercity bus fares climbed to an average of ₦9,699.55 in May, representing a 0.96% increase from ₦9,607.41 in April and a 21.89% rise compared with the same period last year. Domestic airfares also edged higher to an average of ₦157,552.19, reflecting a 0.12% monthly increase and a 20.86% year-on-year rise.
Motorcycle (Okada) transport averaged ₦1,072.51 during the month, rising 3.56% from April and 52.45% above its May 2025 level, making it the fastest-growing transport category on an annual basis. Water transport fares also increased to ₦2,276.48, up 2.41% month-on-month and 30.88% year-on-year.
The report further revealed wide variations in transport fares across states and geopolitical zones. Ondo State recorded the highest average intercity bus fare at ₦11,080, followed closely by Abia State at ₦11,066.13, while Kwara and Edo states posted the lowest averages.
For intra-city transport, Zamfara State recorded the highest average bus fare at ₦1,878.80, followed by Taraba State at ₦1,771.96, while Abia and Adamawa states reported the lowest fares. Kano State posted the highest average domestic airfare at ₦184,139.29, ahead of Lagos State at ₦176,971.65, while Gombe and Nasarawa recorded the lowest airfares.
Kaduna State had the highest average motorcycle fare, while Rivers State recorded the country’s highest average water transport fare. At the regional level, the South-West recorded the highest average fares for city buses, intercity buses and motorcycle transport, whereas the South-South led in water transport costs.
Transportation remains one of the largest components of household expenditure in Nigeria, with rising fares increasing the cost of commuting, business operations and the movement of agricultural produce and manufactured goods. The higher logistics costs continue to exert pressure on consumer prices and overall inflation. The latest transport data comes as Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose slightly to 15.93% in May 2026 from 15.69% in April, amid renewed global commodity price pressures linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to international energy supply chains.
