Road transportation costs to East, South-South, and Northern Nigeria soar this festive season – What to expect 

As the festive season approaches, many residents are preparing to travel back to their hometowns to reconnect with family and loved ones.

While some have already started their journeys, the full festive rush is still a few days away, with most businesses and organizations yet to close for the holidays.

The peak travel period, typically from December 21–22 until the end of the year, is expected to bring an even greater surge in demand and transportation costs.

To gather data on the cost of traveling from Lagos to the East, South-South, and North by road during this festive period, several transport parks across Lagos, including Jibowu, Oshodi, Ojota, Iyana Ipaja, Mazamaza, and Ikorodu Garage, were visited.

Additionally, the online booking platforms of prominent transport companies were consulted. The data, which includes fare information for various vehicle types—ranging from 7-seater space buses to 15/16-seater buses and 51+ seat luxury buses—was collected between December 15–17, 2024, just days before the peak festive travel period begins.

Road transportation cost from Lagos to various regions:

South East  

South – South

North  

The wide variation in transportation fares across different companies reflects the range of services they offer. Premium transport providers tend to charge higher fares, often due to added amenities such as air-conditioning, extra comfort, or exclusive services.

The availability of air-conditioning also slightly increases the fare, and some companies provide discounts for children occupying seats, further influencing the overall cost of travel.

Naijaonpoint gathered insights from speaking with representatives of transport companies at several parks across Lagos, and the expected surge in transportation prices during the festive season is driven primarily by the increase in demand for travel.

“This is one of the few moments transport companies can really make money since fares remain stable for most of the year,” the manager explained.

“When the buses are returning to Lagos, they often struggle to fill even half of their capacity. The higher fares help offset the costs of fuel and other expenses during these periods,” she noted.

“When the buses are returning to Lagos, they often struggle to fill even half of their capacity. The higher fares help offset the costs of fuel and other expenses during these periods,” she noted.

“We’ve already adjusted fares slightly to accommodate the fuel price hikes, but not so much as to make it unaffordable for passengers,” the Ikorodu park manager clarified.

Given these dynamics, travelers should prepare for fares to rise by an additional 20-30% from the rates gathered between December 9 and 11 as the Christmas peak period begins.