Jos to Ibadan: A Road Traveller's Guide

18 September 2016

Where To Go

Bonnyway Motors

Address: Behind Rwang Pam Stadium, Terminus, Jos.
Phone: 08033286521, 08035060880
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bonnywaymotors.com/

Young Shall Grow Transport

Address: Behind Rwang Pam Stadium, Terminus, Jos.
Phone: 08065587947
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ysgtransport.com/

ABC Transport

Address: Hallmark Home Plaza, 7/9, Luggard Road, (Former UTC Motors), Jos.
Phone: 09032909262
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.abctransport.com/

God Bless Ezenwata

Address: Behind Rwang Pam Stadium, Terminus, Jos.
Phone: 08022641872
Website: http://www.godblessezenwata.com/

Price Range

A bus ticket to Ibadan will cost less than a ticket to Lagos even though you're getting on a Lagos bus, so that's around NGN6500 to NGN8000, depending on the bus company.

Which Transport Company to Use

You should consider these factors to consider when choosing a transport company

Budget: Ask yourself how much you can spare for the trip. Due to the massive competition, the different transport companies have reasonable differences in price, so choosing a transport company based on your budget for this route is valid.
Convenience: ABC transport that offers sprint service for customers that don't want to travel overnight, and all the other buses are coaches that travel at night. On this route, I would advice night travel because of the length of the journey, and the fact that if you leave Jos as early as 6am, you could get to Ibadan as late as 10pm, and that's far from convenient. If you don't mind sitting the cramped quarters of a smaller vehicle and arriving at night, then you can travel by day.
Proximity to your home: This isn't really a huge factor as the size of the coaches commonly used for this route makes it impossible for them to pick and drop off passengers just anywhere, so most of the bus companies along this route have one designated terminals for boarding and have one spot for getting off when you get to Ibadan.

What to carry

The coaches that ply this route have massive underbellies for luggage, so this is one of those road trips where you can travel with as many luggage as you'd like, even though there might be a small, extra cost attached to it. Keep the following in mind when packing.

You lose control of your luggage once it's handed over to the conductor for loading, so you should use a bag that you don't want to be ruined by stains or random rips.
Make sure the bags are properly closed to reduce damage to your property from manhandling.
A medium sized suitcase will fit into the overhead luggage compartment, so you can take that on the bus with you. If it doesn't fit, the conductor will fit it into the underbelly at no extra charge.
Your carry on should be as light as possible as it is a very long trip.
Try to keep as little valuables as you can with you in your carry on, this reduces what you would lose in the case of a robbery.

Time Taken

This is an all night bus trip so it takes an average of 15 to 16 hours.

Snack Options

There's very little snack options on this trip as most fast food restaurants aren't open all night, and vendors have to sleep, so this leaves you with the random drinks seller at a filling station or a suya seller whose meat you cannot vouch for so I would advice you to bring your own snacks.
The snack issue is not that big of a problem since you're travelling at night-time, and if you don't normally eat in the middle of the night, you'll be just fine.

Tips For First-Time Travellers

Book your ticket 24 hours in advance to get the best seats. Ask for a middle seat on the bus right next to the window.
The buses actually stick to time, so if you're told to be at the terminal by 3pm, be there by then.
Brace yourself. An overnight trip would be nothing like you have experienced
Dress comfortably.
Sit on the seat assigned to you, even if the other seats are empty. Their tickets are probably sold to other passengers on the way, or will be sold. The seats on the coach are numbered, and you can find your seat number on your bus ticket.
There are no bathrooms on the bus, big as they are, so don't fill yourself up with too many fluids as there are not a lot of stops either.
There will be passengers who pay half the fare and the idea is that they will stand in the aisle for the journey, but that's not the reality. They're human, and so they will fall asleep on anything, and if you're on the aisle seat, that might be you.
Prepare for a lot of unnecessary and unexplained stops during the trip where the doors aren't open (the doors are automatically operated by the driver), so you can't even get off and if you do, you run the risk of getting left behind if the conductor forgets about you. The number of these types of stops depends on the driver's discretion.
The bus might break down, but don't panic. Its almost always something the driver and the conductor can fix in about 30 mins. If its not, prepare for a long wait.
If you can avoid travelling on the weekends or just before and after major public holidays, do so.
Be polite to the person sitting next to you.
Do not be careless with your carry-on.
These buses have limited stops when getting off, so ask about them when you're buying your tickets, and get off at the one closest to your destination.

For up to date information on bus fares and routes, please contact the transport companies directly as these are subject to change at any time at their discretion.
Safe Journey!