The average fare paid for domestic air travel in Nigeria rose by 20.8 per cent year-on-year to N157,552.19 in May 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figure represents an increase from the N130,361.85 recorded in May 2025, the bureau said in its latest Transport Fare Watch report.
The NBS said the average fare paid by air passengers for a specified domestic route (single journey) stood at N157,552.19 during the review period.
It stated that Kano recorded the highest average airfare at N184,139.29, followed by Lagos at N176,971.65.
According to the report, Gombe posted the lowest average airfare at N135,800.61, while Nasarawa recorded N138,999.14.
The bureau also reported increases across other modes of transportation.
It said the average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within cities rose to N1,431.25 per trip in May 2026, representing a 38.63 per cent increase from N1,032.46 in the corresponding period of 2025.
Similarly, the average fare for intercity bus transportation increased to N9,699.55 per trip, up by 21.89 per cent from N7,957.41 recorded a year earlier.
The report further showed that the average fare for commercial motorcycle (Okada) transportation rose to N1,072.51 in May 2026, representing a 52.45 per cent year-on-year increase from N703.54.
For water transport, the NBS said the average fare paid by passengers on inland waterways stood at N2,276.48 during the month under review.
It noted that the figure reflected a 30.88 per cent increase compared with N1,739.32 recorded in May 2025.
The bureau attributed the data to its monthly Transport Fare Watch, which tracks changes in transportation costs across the country and provides insight into the movement of prices within the sector.
