Driver with CNG Subsidy Penalised for Exploitation After Charging Teacher N30,000 from Abuja Airport

BY Rachel Akper
May 1, 2025
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A taxi driver in Abuja has reportedly faced regulatory action after charging a teacher ₦30,000 for a trip from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to Gwarinpa despite being a beneficiary of the Federal Government’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) subsidy programme.

The incident came to public attention after the passenger shared her experience on social media, sparking widespread reactions and reigniting the conversation on accountability among service providers benefiting from government interventions.

The teacher, who narrated the ordeal in a now-viral post, said she appealed to the driver for a fairer rate but was declined. During the trip, she discovered that the vehicle bore a NIPCO sticker signifying that it had been converted under the Federal Government’s CNG initiative.

The CNG scheme was launched to help transporters reduce fuel costs and, in turn, offer more affordable fares to commuters. CNG costs about ₦200 per standard cubic metre, significantly less than the current pump price of petrol.

Despite the cost savings, the driver allegedly charged the teacher an exorbitant fee. Disturbed by what she saw as abuse of a public benefit, the passenger tracked the driver through her ride history and submitted a formal complaint to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Punch Metro gathered that the FCCPC responded promptly, inviting the driver for questioning. The vehicle was reportedly taken to a CNG plant and reconverted back to petrol. The driver was later released after undergoing a corrective process.

The FCCPC has not issued an official statement on the matter as of press time, but the case has drawn attention to what many see as a gap between policy implementation and service delivery.

Social media users expressed mixed reactions. While some sympathised with the driver due to the country’s tough economic realities, others argued that reforms cannot succeed if citizens continue to exploit the public.