The average cost of domestic air travel in Nigeria has risen sharply, with fares now at N123,700, marking a 25% increase compared to July 2024. This data was released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its August 2024 Transport Fare Watch report.
The report highlights that the August 2024 airfare is not only higher month-on-month but has also spiked by 56.56% when compared to N79,011 in August 2023.
According to the NBS, Niger State recorded the highest average airfare for a single journey at N129,575, followed closely by Abuja at N129,442. Conversely, Zamfara State had the lowest fare at N102,665, followed by Cross River at N120,088.
While airfares have surged, the cost of bus journeys within cities has seen a decline. The NBS reported a 7.77% decrease in the average fare, dropping from N942.61 in July 2024 to N869.35 in August 2024. On a year-on-year basis, this fare is down 34.95% from N1,336.38 in August 2023.
For intercity bus travel, however, the report noted a slight increase of 0.59% in fares, bringing the average cost to N7,159 in August 2024, up from N7,117 in July 2024. Year-on-year, intercity fares rose by 20.97%, up from N5,918 in August 2023.
Anambra recorded the highest intercity bus fare at N9,580, with Gombe following at N8,349. Kwara had the lowest fare at N5,574, just ahead of Ebonyi at N5,614. In terms of bus journeys within cities, Zamfara recorded the highest fare at N1,155, followed by Ondo at N1,065.
