Lagos, the most populous state in Nigeria, is home to millions of people originally from various parts of the country.
As the festive season approaches, many residents are preparing to travel back to their hometowns to reconnect with family and loved ones.
While some have already started their journeys, the full festive rush is still a few days away, with most businesses and organizations yet to close for the holidays.
The peak travel period, typically from December 21–22 until the end of the year, is expected to bring an even greater surge in demand and transportation costs.
To gather data on the cost of traveling from Lagos to the East, South-South, and North by road during this festive period, several transport parks across Lagos, including Jibowu, Oshodi, Ojota, Iyana Ipaja, Mazamaza, and Ikorodu Garage, were visited.
Additionally, the online booking platforms of prominent transport companies were consulted. The data, which includes fare information for various vehicle types—ranging from 7-seater space buses to 15/16-seater buses and 51+ seat luxury buses—was collected between December 15–17, 2024, just days before the peak festive travel period begins.
Price range data
Road transportation cost from Lagos to various regions:
South East
South – South
North
Factors driving the disparity in transportation fares
The wide variation in transportation fares across different companies reflects the range of services they offer. Premium transport providers tend to charge higher fares, often due to added amenities such as air-conditioning, extra comfort, or exclusive services.
- For example, a 15/16-seater bus from the Ikorodu terminal to Abuja with Peace Mass Transit was priced at N27,000, while a similar trip with GUO Transport in the same bus category was priced at N57,000, or N60,000 for an air-conditioned bus.
- Similarly, a 7-seater space bus to Enugu from Ojota was priced at N37,000 with a smaller company, while GUO Transport’s fare for the same capacity ranged from N61,750 to N65,000.
- Generally, smaller vehicles with fewer seats tend to have higher fares, as they offer less capacity per passenger. Additionally, transport companies offering night-time services typically price their trips lower than daytime services due to reduced demand.
The availability of air-conditioning also slightly increases the fare, and some companies provide discounts for children occupying seats, further influencing the overall cost of travel.
Why the price surge is inevitable during the festive season
Nairametrics gathered insights from speaking with representatives of transport companies at several parks across Lagos, and the expected surge in transportation prices during the festive season is driven primarily by the increase in demand for travel.
- According to a park manager overseeing operations at Ikorodu Garage of one of the transport companies, the holiday period is one of the few times when transport companies can make significant revenue, as fares generally remain stable throughout the year.
“This is one of the few moments transport companies can really make money since fares remain stable for most of the year,” the manager explained.
- During this period, fares typically rise by about 20%, with prices often dropping slightly after January 3 or 4, before rising again during the last week of January and the first week of February, when people begin returning to their bases after the holidays.
- However, the manager emphasized that the fare hikes are not influenced by passenger imbalance—where there is high demand for outbound travel but significantly lower demand for return trips—but rather by the overall surge in demand during the festive season.
- In contrast, a staff member at a Jibowu park highlighted passenger imbalance as a significant factor in driving fare increases. She explained that buses returning to Lagos often struggle to fill even half of their capacity, and the higher fares help offset costs such as fuel and other expenses.
“When the buses are returning to Lagos, they often struggle to fill even half of their capacity. The higher fares help offset the costs of fuel and other expenses during these periods,” she noted.
- This trend, she added, continues into the New Year, with buses operating under capacity on outbound trips, further driving up prices.
- Both sources agreed that while recent fuel price hikes have led to some fare adjustments throughout the year, the major increases during the festive period are primarily driven by the heightened demand for travel.
“We’ve already adjusted fares slightly to accommodate the fuel price hikes, but not so much as to make it unaffordable for passengers,” the Ikorodu park manager clarified.
What travelers should expect
- Travellers should anticipate a 20-30% increase in fares during the peak festive period starting December 21.
For Southeast routes, 15/16-seater bus fares, currently N28,500–N54,000, could rise to N35,000–N65,000. Similarly, 7-seater space bus fares, now averaging N35,000–N55,000, may climb to N70,000. - South-South routes, like Lagos-Akwa Ibom, could see 15/16-seater bus fares increase from N30,000–N59,400 to N40,000–N70,000. Northern routes, such as Lagos-Kano, may experience similar hikes, with luxury bus fares rising from N32,000 to over N60,000.
