The Ekiti State Government has commenced the deployment of 15 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs and make public transport more affordable for residents.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji announced the initiative on Thursday, October 1, during the flag-off ceremony held at the premises of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency in Ado-Ekiti.

The exercise coincided with Nigeria's 66th Independence Day celebration and the 30th anniversary of Ekiti State. It also forms part of the state's response to the Federal Government's drive to reduce transportation costs through alternative-energy vehicles.

Speaking at the event, Oyebanji described the 15 buses as the pilot phase of the programme, explaining that the state intended to expand the fleet to accommodate more commuters.

The governor said the buses were provided by the Federal Government and would be distributed to transport unions, while the state transportation agency would oversee their management.

He emphasised that the major objective was to ensure that the savings associated with CNG-powered transportation translated into lower fares for passengers.

Oyebanji appealed to transport unions to ensure that commuters directly benefited from the initiative, saying the intervention had the potential to reduce transportation costs by as much as 50 per cent.

He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the state with the buses, noting that federal assistance had helped state governments pursue projects aimed at improving residents' welfare.

The deployment is connected to the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme, through which the Federal Government has encouraged states to work with transport operators, expand alternative-energy vehicle fleets and pass operational savings on to commuters.

In a September 19 statement, President Tinubu said the objective agreed with state governors was for more Nigerians to begin experiencing measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1. He also highlighted fare reductions already reported in states such as Kaduna, Oyo, Adamawa and Enugu. (State House)

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency, Tajudeen Akingbolu, disclosed that routes had been identified for the newly deployed buses.

According to him, the buses are expected to operate on interstate routes connecting Ado-Ekiti with Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha and Abuja, providing passengers with additional transportation options.

The government expects the initiative to ease the financial pressure on commuters, particularly those who regularly travel between Ekiti and major commercial centres.

However, the actual impact of the programme will depend on how the buses are deployed, the fares approved for the routes and whether transport operators consistently maintain the promised reductions.

Ekiti had previously received 15 CNG buses from the Federal Government in October 2024 under the Presidential CNG Initiative, with plans at the time to use them for commercial mass transportation. The latest announcement therefore raises questions about the operational arrangements for the existing fleet and how the newly announced pilot deployment fits into the state's wider transport plans. (Ekiti State Government)

The state government says it will continue exploring alternative-energy transportation and other interventions to make public transport more accessible and affordable.

For residents, the key measure of the programme's success will be whether the promised savings are reflected in the fares they actually pay, particularly on the interstate routes identified by the transportation agency.