Akwa Ibom Receives ₦42bn CNG Buses, But Details Remain Unclear

After Governor Umo Eno promised to ease the impact of fuel subsidy removal with a state-run bus system, the Akwa Ibom State Government has now received 50 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. But the arrival of the buses is clouded by the government not sharing key financial information.

The project has a total budget of N42.04 billion, yet officials have not provided information on contract amounts, procurement records, or bidding documents. This raises serious concerns about transparency and whether the government is following the state’s public procurement laws.

Mr Eno made his promise shortly after he took office in 2023, intending to reduce the effects of the petrol subsidy removal by rolling out state-owned transit buses. Now, after over two years, the promised CNG buses have finally arrived.

While officials say this is the start of a modern transport system for the state, they have not revealed how much they paid for the buses, how the contracts were awarded, or why it took so long to begin procurement after the initial promise.

This lack of information is troubling since state procurement law requires public access to such details. On July 1, during a visit to inspect the buses with some journalists, Alexandro Selefteriadis, CEO of Alpha Daiz, the contractor for the Ibom City bus project, stated that these vehicles are factory-made CNG buses, not diesel buses modified to run on gas.

“These are original CNG buses. It is very difficult to find original CNG buses. Most buses in Nigeria are converted, but these are original,” he said. He added that the buses can run for about 16 hours before needing to refuel. Mr Selefteriadis mentioned that the project goes beyond just getting the buses.

He said they plan to set up a technical training school where 600 students will get both theoretical and hands-on training in bus maintenance. Ime Uwah, a representative of the Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation (AKICORP), confirmed that the state made direct payments to the manufacturer.

“As of October 2025, payments were made directly to Isuzu,” Mr Uwah said. He also mentioned that the government bought spare parts to support the buses for five to ten years.

Aniekan Umanah, the Commissioner for Information, said the necessary infrastructure is already being built. “There is ongoing construction of the CNG terminal at Ikot Ekpe community, Offot, in Uyo. There will be an integrated transportation system for Akwa Ibom State, including a driver’s academy, training facilities, and a car wash. We are about to enter an era of an efficient transport system in Akwa Ibom State,” he said.

Governor Eno announced plans to buy subsidized public buses in August 2023 to help with transportation costs after the fuel subsidy was taken away. But Mr Uwah's statement about payments only being made in October 2025 raises questions about the project's timeline.

Akwa Ibom is not a state that struggles to fund its projects. From 2023 to 2025, reports show that the oil-rich Akwa Ibom has surpassed its revenue targets for those years. Data shows that Mr Eno’s administration achieved a record revenue of ₦2.53 trillion in 32 months.

When asked why the buses arrived 31 months after the governor's promise, Mr Umanah said the delay was due to production schedules. “The manufacturers started manufacturing ours only in January this year because the company had back orders, so they said even if you pay, we won’t start,” he explained. When asked about the payment timing, he said, “I need to check that for you.”

Details about procurement remain unclear. Even though the buses have arrived, key information about how they were purchased is still missing. On Thursday, a reporter asked Mr Umanah for the total contract value, the cost per bus, logistics costs, and the procurement method used.

“We have to check the records to let you know that,” Mr Umanah said. He was also asked if the buses were bought through open competitive bidding or direct procurement as the law states. He said he was in a meeting with the governor and would get back after checking the records. As of the time of this report, Mr Umanah had not provided the information.

The Commissioner for Transport, Anthony Luke, who is in charge of the project, also did not give answers. On Thursday, he told PREMIUM TIMES he was in a meeting with the governor but promised to respond later. The next day, he said the meeting was still ongoing and insisted on responding personally rather than letting his officials handle it.

No response was sent before publishing despite a detailed inquiry sent through WhatsApp and text message. The lack of procurement information goes against the Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Law.

Section 54(5) of the Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Law, Volume V, Cap 122, requires that procurement information be published on the state’s electronic portal. But a search found no records related to these buses on the portal.

It was also found that the administration rarely publishes public contract details, including amounts, schedules, and procurement documents. PREMIUM TIMES has noted a pattern of secrecy in procurement under Mr Eno, including the recent case of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly renovation project.

Budget documents show no specific allocation for CNG buses in the 2023 or 2024 budgets. The project came up in the 2025 revised budget with ₦40 billion set aside for “the purchase of CNG buses and operation of a modern City Bus Transportation System with MOT line and CNG stations in the City of Uyo.” An extra ₦2.04 billion was added for the same budget line in the 2026 Appropriation Law.

This brings the total budget for the project to ₦42.04 billion. Using independent image analysis from three AI systems, PREMIUM TIMES identified the buses as the Anadolu Isuzu Citiport 12 CNG low-floor city bus. All systems returned the same model.

The newspaper also checked market prices from car dealers and European procurement records. The review shows that these buses typically cost between $260,000 and $330,000, depending on the specifics and market conditions. Taking the higher estimate of $330,000 and an exchange rate of ₦1,500 to one dollar, each bus would cost ₦495 million.

At that rate, 50 buses would be about ₦24.75 billion before shipping, customs duties, spare parts, and related infrastructure. The higher estimate indicates that the ₦42.04 billion allocated for the project exceeds the estimated cost of just the buses by ₦17.29 billion.

But the true contract amount cannot be confirmed because the state government has not made procurement documents or contract details public. The government has not responded to PREMIUM TIMES' request for the cost of spare parts bought with the buses.

PREMIUM TIMES also reached out to Kin Juhail, General Manager (Sales) of Isuzu in Nigeria, about manufacturing timelines. He said factory production usually starts after customer orders are confirmed and that the company often requires 70 percent advance payment before making the buses. He added that manufacturing usually takes about six months after an order is placed.

Mr Juhail’s comments support AKICORP's timeline, which suggests production began after payment in October 2025 and was finished months later. But it still leaves the question: why did the state wait over two years after Governor Eno's promise in August 2023 before placing the bus order?

Until the government makes procurement records, contract value, and bidding details available as required by state law, the arrival of these buses will not clear up concerns about transparency and accountability in one of the state’s biggest transport projects.