Petrol Price Increase: The Real-Life Struggle of the Average Nigerian

Photo culled from Nairametrics.com

I boarded a bus on a chilly Thursday morning, heading to work from Ajah to Victoria Island, Lagos. We were seated in the regular fashion -three passengers on each row and one person in the front seat- when the bus conductor yelled “Abeg shift oh.” I wondered what that was about. Ever since the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were relaxed, this sitting position was adopted to ensure social distancing among commuters; so, asking us to give room for other passengers seemed strange. I was sitting by the driver and at this point, I just had to ask; “Oga is the bus not complete?” He simply replied “Madam, fuel don increase.” Then it hit me. This isn’t about lockdown restrictions anymore; this is about the average Nigerian switching to survival mode whenever the government switches on us.

The Nigerian Government has welcomed us to the month of September and I dare say, they welcomed us to another level of struggle. Of course, they did this by increasing the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol to N151.56 per litre. The sad part is, this price will likely hit N160 because in Nigeria, we understand a kind of approximation that is mathematically bizarre and definitely alien to people in saner countries.

What does this mean for the average Nigerian? This means an increased number of people in a single bus or tricycle (Keke) amid predictions that COVID-19 cases are dwindling in the country. This means more expenses for families and car owners. This means a hike in market prices because sellers will tell you that the bus and Keke drivers were ‘cutting their necks’ with the price of transportation. This means many more realities that are not new to Nigerians.

This move will not make us any more upset than we’ve always been. We will definitely adjust because survival has become a part of us, although this should not be the norm. However, I’ll ask this: Will this single act cause a ripple effect that will affect our fight against COVID-19? In the usual Nigerian fashion, I would say “I pray not!”