…As South South Holds highest intercity bus travel fares
By Yahaya Umar
North Central zone reported the highest average domestic airfares in Nigeria in July 2024, reaching N102,139.71 for a single journey on designated routes.
This figure surpassed the national average of N98,561.74 and was the highest among the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, according to the Transport Fare Watch report for July 2024 released by the National Bureau of Statistics ,NBS.
The average airfare in the North Central zone saw a significant increase of 20.10% from June 2024, when it was N85,047.73, and a substantial 33.77% rise compared to July 2023, which had an average of N76,357.14.
Following closely, the North East zone recorded the second-highest average airfare at N101,141.22 in July 2024. This represents a 12.80% increase from the previous month and a 25.02% rise from the same period last year.
The South-South zone came in third, with an average airfare of N97,757.55. This amount was 8.77% higher than the N80,083.33 reported in June 2024 and 22.07% above the average from July 2023.
Next, the South West zone had an average airfare of N96,917.80, reflecting a 5.19% month-on-month increase and a 22.94% rise compared to the previous year’s figures.
The North West zone had the lowest average airfare among the six zones, at N96,352.82, while the South East zone was slightly higher at N96,487.44.
The NBS report for July 2024 also provided a comprehensive overview of domestic flight costs across Nigeria based on the state level, revealing significant variations.
Benue State topped the list with the highest average airfare, reaching N105,505.26. It was closely followed by Edo State, with an average of N105,171.71, and Adamawa State, which recorded an average of N105,171.67.
Several other states also reported notably high average airfares. Bayelsa State had an average of N104,980.78, while Bauchi State’s average was N104,555.56. Nasarawa State was not far behind, with an average of N104,255.05.
Additionally, Taraba State’s average airfare stood at N102,893.94. Osun State followed with an average of N102,880.50, and both Niger and Kwara States reported the same average of N102,893.96. Abuja, the nation’s capital, had an average of N102,753.
In contrast, several states experienced significantly lower average airfares. Jigawa State recorded the lowest average at N87,493.89. This was followed by Cross River State, with an average of N90,049.44.
Ondo State had an average airfare of N90,893.94, and Akwa Ibom State’s average was N91,944.44. Imo State recorded an average of N92,227.22, while Oyo State had an average of N93,911.72. Kaduna State was close behind with an average of N93,171.67, and Borno State had an average of N93,893.89.
in a related development, the South South geopolitical zone recorded the highest intercity bus travel fares in July 2024 across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with an average fare of N7,637.14, exceeding the national average of N7,117.17.
This data is sourced from the Transport Fare Watch report for July 2024, released by the National Bureau of Statistics ,NBS.
According to the report, the South South’s July 2024 average represents a 0.42% increase from the previous month’s figure of N7,604.90 and a significant 29.50% rise compared to July 2023.
Following closely, the South East zone recorded the second-highest intercity bus travel fares in July 2024, with an average of N7,319.64. This marks a 1.11% month-on-month increase from N7,238.93 in June and a 14.19% year-on-year increase from N6,410.30 in July 2023.
The North East zone ranked third, with an average fare of N7,051.65, showing a slight 0.20% increase from N7,037.39 in June and a 15.96% rise compared to N6,081.04 in July 2023.
The North West zone followed with an average fare of N7,000.17 in July 2024, reflecting a 0.12% increase from June’s N6,991.93 and a 24.05% increase from N5,643.03 in July 2023.
The South West zone recorded the fifth-highest fares, averaging N6,986.37, a 0.20% increase from N6,972.10 in June and a 14.37% rise from N6,108.39 in July 2023.
The North Central zone had the lowest intercity bus fares in July 2024, with an average of N6,812.11, representing a 0.22% increase from N6,797.25 in June 2024 and a 22.44% rise from N5,563.74 in July 2023.
The NBS report for July 2024 also offered a detailed analysis of intercity bus fares across Nigeria at the state level, highlighting significant disparities.
Anambra State, located in the South East geopolitical zone, led the nation with the highest average intercity bus fare, reaching N9,566.89. Gombe State followed in second place with an average fare of N8,299.44, while Akwa Ibom State ranked third with an average of N8,211.11.
Other states that recorded notably high intercity bus fares in July 2024 included Abia State with an average of N8,125, Delta State at N8,171.88, Cross River State at N8,052.78, Bayelsa State at N8,091.89, and Abuja with an average of N8,058.39.
On the lower end of the spectrum, several states experienced significantly reduced average intercity bus fares. Kwara State recorded the lowest average at N5,518.38, followed by Ebonyi State with an average of N5,596.11.
Taraba State had an average fare of N6,082.83, while Imo State’s average stood at N6,205. Jigawa State reported an average of N6,296.11, Edo State N6,227.22, and Nasarawa State recorded an average of N6,313.38.
