The recent increase in fuel prices in Nigeria has undoubtedly caused significant distress for many citizens, who are now pushed to the brink. The new hike which saw petrol prices, dangling between N900 and N1100 per litre, is having ripple effects across the economy thereby worsening the already challenging living conditions of the people who are now at boiling points.
The most immediate and visible impact of the new fuel price hike is on transportation costs and the small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that rely heavily on fuel to operate their businesses.
It is certain that with this higher fuel prices, the cost of moving from one place to the other has increased substantially.
Interestingly, it does not only affect individuals who rely on public transport, but also businesses that depend on transportation for the delivery of goods and services.
Knowing too well that Nigeria dwell comfortably in a vicious cycle, the astronomical rise in the prices of essential commodities occasioned by the fuel hike, will definitely make it increasingly difficult for families to afford basic necessities.
The moment that there is increase in fuel price, almost everything in the country increases.
SMEs, which form the backbone of the Nigerian economy, are particularly hard-hit. These businesses, already struggling with unreliable electricity, now face increased operational costs due to their heavy reliance on fuel. Many of them operate on thin margins and are finding it difficult to cope, leading to potential business closures that will automatically send many into Labour markets thereby further exacerbating the unemployment crisis in the country.
The social implications of the fuel price hike are equally concerning. Many Nigerians are already living below the poverty line, and the increased cost of living is pushing more people into poverty. The strain on household budgets simply means that families have to make difficult choices, often cutting back on essential items such as food, healthcare, and education. This can have long-term detrimental effects on the health and well-being of the population.
Honestly, I had thought our general overseer , President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would wave a magic wand in alleviating our pains in the country after the near disaster era of the Daura man, but painfully, the soothing balm that we felt will be placed on our wound turned out to be vicious acid that’s eating deeper into our sour wound.
Those who still believe in our GO and those who are on the side of the government are telling us to exercise patience that solution is coming. But what type of solution will be useful to a man who is six feet below the ground, I ask?
What is the essence of the solution that won’t make any meaningful meaning again to a dejected mind?
Shey e fe pa wa tan ni before we see solution?
Is Nigeria so cursed that things will never work right in this country?
At least I have been seeing things play out since the time of ex president Shehu Shagari , and I knew what the campaign promises were then. It was the usual melody of “ma shey ina fun yin, ma shey omi fun yin, ma shey ona fun yin, ile iwe ofe…” ( I’ll provide light, water, road, free education et all) and other balderdash. From that time till date, it is still the same old song . Why is Africa like this? Why is Nigeria like this? Did ‘oyinbos’ manipulate our genes that hinder us from doing things right? I still can’t understand why from one leader to the other , it keeps getting from bad to worse.
If there is anything that has made me happy in all these, it’s the fact that there wont be any need for the cliche ‘the best president Nigeria never had’ From history, if Awolowo and MKO had ruled, it is bound to be another disaster story based on what we’ve seen and experienced over the years in the country.
This increase in fuel prices in Nigeria at this time is indeed a cruel and insensitive blow to the already struggling population. It is strangling the economic and social fabric of the nation, making it imperative for the government to take decisive and compassionate action. Failure to do that in time may set off the already ticking time bomb.
It is still aabo ooro.
This is kunle rasheed reporting live from his inner mind.
Kunle Rasheed
