‘Average Airfare Up 18.71 Per Cent In One Year’ — NBS

*Increased By 0.10 Per Cent In March

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday said average passenger airfare paid for specified route single journey increased by 18.71per cent year -on -year.

It made the disclosure in its document entitled: “Transport Fare Watch – March 2021”.

The document added that the average airfare rose to N36,495.41 in March 2021 from N36,458.11 in February 2021.

NBS said: “Average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey increased by 0.10 per cent month-on-month and by 18.71 per cent year-on-year to N36,495.41 in March 2021 from N36,458.11 in February 2021”.

The document also revealed that states with highest air fare were Anambra/Lagos (N38,600), Delta/Jigawa (N38,500), Bauchi (N38,450) while states with lowest air fare were Akwa Ibom (N32,700), Sokoto (N33,200), and Katsina (N35,150).

According to the Bureau, average fare paid by commuters for bus journey within the city increased by 4.42 per cent month-on-month and by 82.50 per cent year-on-year to N377.27 in March 2021 from N361.31 in February 2021.

States with highest bus journey fare within city were Zamfara (N618.23), Bauchi (N597.14) and Ekiti (N500.15) while states with lowest bus journey fare within city were Oyo (N197.55), Abia (N209.87) and Borno (N258.14).

It further said average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity increased by 1.62 per cent month-on-month and by 42.58 per cent year-on-year to N2,411.29 in March 2021 from N2,372.87 in February 2021. States with highest bus journey fare intercity were Abuja FCT (N4,576.28), Lagos (N3,425.18) and Sokoto (N3,380.20) while States with lowest bus journey fare within city were Bayelsa (N1,700.19), Enugu (N1,720.45) and Bauchi (N1,725.35).

The NBS explained that the “Transport fare Watch report for March 2021 covers the following categories namely bus journey within the city per drop constant route; bus journey intercity, state route, charge per person; air fare charge for specified routes single journey; journey by motorcycle (Okada) per drop; and water way passenger transport”.

Continuing, the document noted that average fare paid by commuters for journey by motorcycle per drop increased by 1.76 per cent month-on-month and by 102.46 per cent year-on-year to N271.44 in March 2021 from N266.74 in February 2021.

States with highest journey fare by motorcycle, according to NBS, per drop were Rivers (N420.35), Taraba (N420.15) and Yobe (N420.10) while states with lowest journey fare by motorcycle per drop were Adamawa (N90.43), Katsina (N147.64) and Niger (N159.20).

On water way transport, the data revealed that average fare paid by passengers for water way passenger transport increased by 1.81 per cent month-on-month and by 43.52 per cent year-on-year to N808.38 in March 2021 from N794.02 in February 2021.

It said States with highest fare by water way passenger transport were Bayelsa (N2,300.80), Delta (N2,300.60) and Rivers (N2,285.67) while states with lowest fare by water way passenger transport were Borno (N250.30), Gombe (N320.15) and Abuja FCT (N350.79).