Domestic air travel fares in Nigeria surged by 25.51%, with the average fare for a single journey on specified routes reaching N123,700.14 in August 2024.
The statistics were obtained from the Transport Fare Watch report for August 2024, released by the National Bureau of Statistics.
Niger State recorded the highest air transport fare at N129,575.21, followed by Abuja at N129,442.67, while Zamfara and Cross River recorded the lowest fares at N102,665.89 and N120,088.93, respectively.
Regionally, the South-East had the highest average fare at N125,640.19, while the North-West recorded the lowest at N121,957.18.
“The average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey was N123,700.14 in August 2024, showing an increase of 25.51% compared to the previous month (July 2024). On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 56.56% from N79,011.38 in August 2023,” the report read in part.
It added, “Niger recorded the highest air transport charges (for specified routes single journeys) with N129,575.21, followed by Abuja with N129,442.67. Conversely, Zamfara recorded the least fare with N102,665.89, followed by Cross River with N120,088.93.”
The NBS report further provided statistics on other modes of transportation, showing varied trends across the country.
Bus transport within cities saw a significant reduction in fares, with the average fare dropping by 7.77% from N942.61 in July 2024 to N869.35 in August 2024. This decrease was even more pronounced on a year-on-year basis, with fares declining by 34.95% from N1,336.38 in August 2023.
However, intercity bus fares told a different story, showing a slight month-on-month increase of 0.59% to N7,159.00 in August 2024, compared to N7,117.17 in July. Over the year, intercity bus fares rose by 20.97%, reflecting increased costs for long-distance travel.
Motorcycle (Okada) fares also experienced notable changes. The average fare paid by commuters rose by 8.46% to N524.22 in August 2024, compared to N483.33 in July. However, on a year-on-year basis, there was an 18.87% decline from N646.12 in August 2023.
Water transport fares recorded moderate increases, with a month-on-month rise of 3.30% to N1,449.34 in August 2024. On a year-on-year comparison, water fares grew slightly by 3.03% from N1,406.74 in August 2023.
Regionally, Anambra led in intercity bus fares with the highest average of N9,580.85, followed by Gombe at N8,349.26. Kwara had the lowest fare at N5,574.46, followed by Ebonyi at N5,614.81.
For water transport, Bayelsa recorded the highest fare at N4,563.98, followed by Delta with N4,261.55. On the opposite end, Borno had the lowest water transport fare at N475.89, closely followed by Gombe with N619.19.
This diverse range of transport fare increases and decreases reflects the complexity of Nigeria’s transport sector and the various factors impacting costs across the country.