Domestic airfare in Nigeria witnessed a significant spike in July 2024, with ticket prices soaring by 25% compared to the same period last year, as reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS’s Transport Fare Watch Report for July revealed that the average cost of a one-way domestic flight surged to ₦98,561.74, up from ₦78,775.74 in July 2023.
Additionally, there was a 9.65% increase in airfares from June to July 2024, driven by the federal government’s recent tax hikes, despite ongoing objections from the Airline Operators of Nigeria over multiple taxation.
While airfares climbed, the report also indicated a decline in prices for other modes of transportation, such as bus, motorcycle, and waterway journeys, during the same period.
For instance, the average cost of a bus ride within cities dropped by 2.18%, from ₦963.58 in June 2024 to ₦942.61 in July 2024, representing a 29.46% year-on-year decrease from ₦1,336.29 in July 2023. Meanwhile, intercity bus fares saw a slight monthly increase of 0.35%, reaching ₦7,117.17 in July 2024.
Motorcycle (Okada) fares increased marginally by 1.22% to ₦483.33 in July 2024, though this was still a 25.20% drop compared to July 2023. Waterway transportation fares experienced a slight monthly decline of 0.44%, with the average fare at ₦1,403.06 in July 2024.
Regionally, Anambra State recorded the highest intercity bus fares at ₦9,566.89, followed by Gombe at ₦8,299.44, while Kwara and Ebonyi States had the lowest at ₦5,518.38 and ₦5,596.11, respectively.
Within-city bus fares were highest in Taraba State, with passengers paying an average of ₦1,457.28 per trip, while the lowest fares were recorded in Adamawa and Abia States at ₦500.00 and ₦505.35, respectively.
