President Bola Tinubu has approved a 50 per cent reduction in fares on all passenger train services operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), effective immediately and running through Monday, June 1, 2026.
The announcement was made through a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funsho Adebiyi, who said the initiative forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to make movement easier and more affordable for citizens celebrating the Muslim festival.
“The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, has approved a 50 per cent fare discount on all train services operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation as part of measures to ease transportation costs for Nigerians during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration,” Adebiyi stated.
The directive comes at a time of significant financial pressure on Nigerian households, with the cost of road transport remaining prohibitively high across the country.
Rail travel, long seen as the more affordable alternative for intercity movement, is now poised to become even more accessible during one of the most important Muslim holidays on the Nigerian calendar.
According to the ministry, ticket fares on all NRC passenger train services across the country have been reduced by 50 per cent of the existing approved rates within the stated period.
This applies to routes on both the standard gauge and narrow gauge networks, meaning travellers heading from Lagos to Ibadan, Abuja to Kaduna, and other key corridors will benefit from the halved fares.
Crucially, the government also moved to protect passengers who had already made bookings before the announcement. Passengers who had earlier purchased tickets at the full fare will be entitled to a 50 percent rebate, reusable for train rides on or before Monday, June 1, 2026.
Despite the fare reduction, the ministry confirmed that train schedules and timetables would remain unchanged throughout the festive period, a reassurance to passengers who might have feared service disruptions amid the anticipated rise in demand.
The announcement does, however, arrive against a backdrop of controversy. Just a day earlier, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had condemned the Federal Government over what it described as a failure to offer free train services during the Eid-el-Kabir festival, noting that the government had in recent years provided free train services during both Christmas and Easter celebrations.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the group had waited until Monday evening hoping for a presidential declaration, but none came — only for the government to announce the 50 per cent discount the following morning.
While short of the free rides MURIC demanded, the discount is nonetheless consistent with a pattern of festive railway interventions under the Tinubu administration. During the 2025 Yuletide season, the NRC recorded heavy passenger turnout after a similar 50 per cent discount was introduced, with many travellers describing the initiative as timely and financially relieving, particularly for families and group travellers.
NRC Managing Director and CEO, Dr Kayode Opeifa, has previously assured passengers of the corporation’s preparedness to sustain safe, efficient, and customer-focused services during periods of discounted festive operations, with enhanced security, safety, and customer service arrangements in place across stations and onboard trains. It is expected that similar arrangements will be in force this Eid season.
Whether the discount translates into smooth, comfortable journeys will now depend on the NRC’s operational readiness to manage what is almost certain to be a significant surge in passenger numbers over the next six days.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
President Tinubu has approved a 50% train fare discount on all NRC passenger services from May 26 to June 1, 2026, to ease travel costs during Eid-el-Kabir.
Passengers who already bought full-price tickets are entitled to a 50% rebate, and train schedules remain unchanged.
While the gesture falls short of the free rides some groups demanded, it offers meaningful financial relief during one of Nigeria’s busiest travel periods.
