Transport Costs Surge Nationwide As Abia And Ogun Lead Intercity Fare Spike In Feb 2026

Transport fares across air, land, and water rose in Nigeria in February 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS disclosed this in its February 2026 Transport Fare Watch released on Wednesday, noting increases across most transport categories, including intra-city buses, intercity travel, air fares, motorcycles (Okada), and water transport.

The report showed that Abia State (N9,490.95) and Ogun State (N9,402.26) recorded the highest intercity bus fares per passenger in February, while Kwara State recorded the lowest at N6,190.50, followed by Edo State at N6,650.00.
According to the NBS, the average fare for bus journeys within cities rose by 0.74 per cent from N1,186.98 in January 2026 to N1,195.75 in February 2026. On a year-on-year basis, it increased by 26.71 per cent from N943.68 in February 2025.

For intercity bus travel, the average fare stood at N8,108.81 in February 2026, reflecting a 4.65 per cent decline from January 2026 (N8,504.39), but a 6.13 per cent increase compared to February 2025.

Air transport fares also rose, with the average single-journey ticket costing N153,647.95 in February 2026, up 1.51 per cent from January 2026 and 21.38 per cent higher year-on-year.

Motorcycle transport fares averaged N920.95, representing a 4.82 per cent monthly increase and a 53.26 per cent rise compared to February 2025. Water transport fares averaged N2,097.30, up 0.55 per cent month-on-month and 31.66 per cent year-on-year.

State-level data showed that Lagos recorded the highest intra-city bus fare at N1,537.09, followed by Taraba at N1,405.36, while Abia recorded the lowest at N699.17, followed by Adamawa at N700.00.

In air travel, Kano recorded the highest fares at N187,742.40, followed by Ogun at N175,500.00, while Gombe recorded the lowest at N131,290.00, followed by Bauchi at N135,650.88.

For motorcycle transport, Kaduna recorded the highest fare at N1,500.00, followed by Lagos at N1,416.67, while Adamawa and Akwa Ibom recorded the lowest at N650.00.

Water transport fares were highest in Rivers State at N6,560.01, followed by Bayelsa at N5,338.49, while Borno recorded the lowest at N880.00.

By geo-political zone, the South-West recorded the highest intra-city bus fares (N1,326.80), while the South-East recorded the lowest (N1,116.10). For intercity travel, the South-East recorded the highest fares (N8,507.45), while the North-East recorded the lowest (N7,709.98).

For air transport, the South-South recorded the highest average fare (N159,930.64), while the North-East recorded the lowest (N146,570.01). For Okada, the South-West recorded the highest fares (N1,017.15), while the North-Central recorded the lowest (N850.78). Water transport fares were highest in the South-South (N4,862.32) and lowest in the North-East (N1,260.78).