High Fuel Price Pushes Abuja Residents Out of Their Cars

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

Sixty‑year‑old civil servant Sholape Kolawole has not started her car in months. Every morning, she leaves her home in Dutse Alhaji, a suburb of Nigeria’s capital Abuja, and joins the swelling crowds waiting for commercial buses. “It has been stressful using commercial vehicles. I have no choice since I cannot afford to fuel my car, and my salary is not enough to buy fuel every day to work,” she told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Her story is no longer exceptional. Across the Federal Capital Territory, thousands of private car owners have abandoned their vehicles in driveways and on streets, unable to keep pace with a relentless surge in petrol prices that shows no sign of stopping.

The latest round of increases began on April 30, 2026, when the Dangote Refinery raised its gantry price from N1,200 to N1,275 per litre, citing global crude oil volatility. Within hours, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) adjusted its pump prices nationwide. In Abuja, the price jumped to N1,364 per litre, up from N1,295. Major marketers including MRS, BOVAS, AP (Ardova), and Mobil quickly followed, setting prices between N1,364 and N1,370 per litre. Smaller outlets such as AA Rano, Emedab, Empire Energy, and Ranoil pushed rates even higher, ranging from N1,370 to N1,444 per litre. In Kano, the situation is even more dire, with petrol reaching N1,480 per litre at some stations, while prices in other northern states have climbed to N1,490.

The impact on Abuja’s roads has been immediate and visible. The Kubwa Expressway and the Suleja–Madalla axis, once notorious for bumper‑to‑bumper traffic, now see significantly reduced vehicular movement, especially on weekdays. Other major routes across the FCT have recorded similar trends, a stark contrast to the long travel times that defined daily commutes before the price hikes. “I now spend almost double what I used to pay for transportation. It is affecting my ability to meet other basic needs,” said Mrs Bisi Emmanuel, a civil servant, who has reduced her office attendance to twice a week. “Even with your money, there are no vehicles because taxi drivers are complaining that they are not making any profit.”

For Emmanuel Ajayi, a resident who has not been able to fuel his car for months, the consequences reach beyond finance. “The stress of jumping from one public transport to another just to make ends meet is affecting my health,” he said, calling on the government to act swiftly and bring a lasting solution to the crisis. Transport operators are not faring better. Adewale Bello, a commercial driver in Abuja, said persistent hikes have drastically reduced his daily earnings, forcing him to increase fares despite losing passengers. Many commuters now prefer to trek short distances or reduce travel frequency, leaving drivers stranded for hours. “The cost of servicing vehicles has doubled in recent months, compelling some drivers to operate faulty vehicles or abandon the business entirely due to unsustainable operational expenses,” Bello explained.

Public transport fares have risen sharply as a direct consequence. In March, when an earlier price surge hit, the fare from Berger Roundabout to Zuba increased from N1,500 to N1,800, while commuters traveling from Nyanya to Jabi Garage began paying N1,700. Fares from Mpape to Jabi Garage, formerly N800, now range between N1,000 and N1,200. More recent adjustments have pushed those figures even higher, with some routes recording increases of more than 50 percent. Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria spokesperson Chinedu Ukadike explained that while the Dangote Refinery has helped cushion the impact, global crude oil volatility continues to dictate domestic prices. The price of Brent crude climbed above $115 per barrel and briefly hit $126, driven by sustained hostilities involving Iran, the United States, and Israel in the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates’ recent exit from OPEC has added further volatility to an already unstable market.

Development expert Dr Aliyu Ilias described the hardship as deeply troubling, noting that many Nigerians now stay home several days a week because they cannot afford transportation. He argued that Nigeria, as an oil‑producing country, should ordinarily benefit from rising crude prices. Government revenues have indeed increased, but ordinary citizens are feeling none of that windfall. “One practical solution will be for the Federal Government to provide crude oil to local refineries at reduced rates, enabling them to refine and sell petrol at more affordable prices. Such a strategy can help stabilise fuel prices and reduce the pressure on transportation and living costs,” he said. He warned that purchasing power has declined sharply and disposable income has almost disappeared for many households.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has gone further, describing the petrol price hike as an “economic ambush” on Nigerians. National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubikor warned that millions of small businesses, the backbone of the informal economy, are on the brink of extinction. “Barbing salons, welding workshops, small‑scale manufacturers, transport operators, and countless petty traders who depend on petrol for daily operations will be forced to shut down. This will trigger a dangerous surge in unemployment, particularly among youths and women, thereby worsening social instability and insecurity,” he said. He demanded immediate intervention by President Bola Tinubu to halt what he called a reckless escalation of petrol prices.

The federal government, however, has ruled out any return to fuel subsidies. Finance Minister Wale Edun, speaking at an IMF briefing in mid‑April, said the 2023 reforms that removed petrol subsidies remained necessary and had received strong backing from international financial institutions. While acknowledging that the gains had been negatively affected by external shocks beyond Nigeria’s control, he warned that returning to broad‑based subsidies would undermine economic stability. “Having made so much progress, it is important that we don't return to generalised subsidies, a sort of relapse into policies that have not proven successful in the past,” Edun said, adding that the priority now was to protect vulnerable citizens through targeted interventions rather than reversing reforms.

For the millions of Nigerians navigating this new reality, those interventions cannot come soon enough. On the roads of Abuja, the evidence of a nation stretched to its limit is everywhere: empty car parks, packed bus stops, and the silent resignation of people like Mrs Bisi Emmanuel, who must now choose between going to work and feeding her children. “My salary cannot meet my monthly expenses,” she said. “I have children to feed, school fees to pay, house rent to pay, medical bills, and I have aged parents to take care of. We need the government’s intervention urgently.”

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