By Stanley Onyekwere
For thousands of residents living along the ever-busy Abuja-Keffi road, the daily commute has transformed from a routine struggle with gridlock into a desperate battle for financial survival. As the cost of living climbs, the chaotic stretch connecting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Nasarawa State is witnessing a sharp spike in transport fares, leaving workers and traders at their wits’ end.
The new math of commuting
The economic reality on the ground is stark. For those plying the route from Berger Park in the heart of Abuja to the sprawling suburbs of Mararaba and Masaka, the price of a seat has become a luxury.
Private cars & costa buses: Passengers now part with between N800 and N1,000 for a single trip.
The CNG alternative: The introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses offers a slight reprieve, with seats going for N600 and “standing” room costing N500. However, the demand far outweighs the supply of these subsidized vehicles.
For a round trip, many are spending upwards of N2,000 daily—a figure that swallows a significant portion of the average monthly minimum wage.
”Disturbing and confusing”
Transport operators point to the perennial culprit: the fluctuating hike in the pump price of fuel. However, for motorists like Ibe Uche, the explanation provides little comfort. He describes the current situation as “disturbing and confusing,” noting that there seems to be no ceiling to how high fares can go, leaving commuters at the mercy of individual drivers’ whims.
Voices from the road
The hike is hitting various sectors of the workforce differently, but the underlying pain remains universal.
Musa Ali (Land Agent, Area 11): “I have to be in the city every day to meet clients. Most days, I spend nearly half of my projected daily profit just on getting to the office and back. It is making the business of land agency nearly impossible for those of us living in Nasarawa.”
Adebayo Emma (Barber, Wuse): “By the time I pay for my shop rent and electricity, and then add this new transport fare, I am left with almost nothing. I’ve had to increase the price of a haircut, but customers are also complaining they don’t have money. We are all squeezed.”
Blessings Amara (Sales Girl, Utako): “Sometimes I wait for hours just to find a CNG bus so I can save N300. If I don’t see one, I end up trekking a part of the way just to reduce the fare. It’s exhausting, and I’m always tired before I even start my shift.”
A corridor in crisis
The Abuja-Keffi road has long been known for its legendary traffic snarls, often stretching for kilometers during peak hours. When you combine hours of lost productivity in traffic with the dwindling purchasing power of the Naira, the result is a frustrated workforce.
While the government touts CNG as the future of affordable transport, the residents of Mararaba and Masaka are asking for more immediate interventions—whether through better regulation of fares or a massive influx of high-capacity buses to break the monopoly of the chaotic “Costa” bus system. Until then, the “long walk” to work continues to get more expensive by the day.
