Commuters across the Federal Capital Territory have expressed frustration over the rapid and unpredictable changes in fuel prices, describing the situation as mentally exhausting and economically devastating.
Residents who spoke in separate interviews in Abuja said the instability in petrol prices has made transportation, feeding and other daily expenses increasingly difficult to manage.
Over the past week, fuel prices reportedly fluctuated several times, rising from about N1,200 per litre to N1,275, then N1,350, before partially dropping back to N1,275 at some filling stations.
In several parts of the capital, motorists said Premium Motor Spirit was being sold for as high as N1,500 per litre, while kerosene, widely used by low-income households, reached about N2,100 per litre.
The persistent fluctuations come amid ongoing adjustments in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector following the removal of fuel subsidy and efforts to increase domestic refining capacity.
A commuter and estate supervisor, Muntari Suleman, said transportation now consumes a significant portion of his monthly income.
“I spend close to N4,000 or more on transport daily, and I earn less than N150,000 monthly.
“After transport and feeding, there is almost nothing left,” Suleman said.
He added that food inflation had already been increasing before recent geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the United States.
“It went from 8.89 per cent in January to 12.12 per cent in February before the war escalated.
“Nigeria is an oil producer. Higher oil prices should benefit us and not hurt us,” he said.
Another commuter and sales manager, Timothy Bada, said the rise in fuel prices had forced him to reassess his lifestyle and spending habits.
“At some point, I was earning N300,000 but spending about N120,000 on fuel alone every month.
“The economy does not really reflect what people are earning anymore,” Bada said.
A civil servant, Rose Ameh, said transport fares increased almost immediately after the latest fuel price adjustments.
“There is an increase in transportation fares today. I usually spend between N700 and N800 from Airport Road to Central Area, but yesterday and today I spent N1,000.
“I even had to beg the driver before he agreed to the 1,000 because he initially asked for 1,200,” Ameh said.
Across major transport routes in Abuja, including Wuse, Nyanya, Kubwa and the Central Area, commercial drivers said changing fuel prices have made fare calculations increasingly difficult.
A taxi driver along the Airport Road corridor, Sunday Okoh, said operators were struggling to cope with the uncertainty.
“We do not even know what price to charge anymore.
“Fuel price keeps changing. Passengers are angry, but we also have to survive,” he said.
Small business owners also expressed concerns over the impact of fuel price volatility on operations and the cost of goods.
A trader at the Garki International Market, Lami Kawu, said the repeated changes were more damaging than the actual increase in price.
“Even when they reverse the price, the market has already reacted. Transportation, goods, everything has gone up. You cannot reverse that,” Kawu said.
She noted that the volatility reflects changing global crude oil prices, foreign exchange pressures and logistics costs, but added that poor communication around pricing decisions often worsens public anxiety.
For many residents, the larger concern extends beyond petrol prices to the broader cost-of-living crisis affecting households across the country.
A civil servant, Aminu Danladi, said many Nigerians now feel trapped in a cycle of economic survival.
“It feels like we are no longer planning life, we are just managing survival. Every day is about how to get through the next,” he said.
Danladi added that beyond affordability, residents now desire stability that would allow them to plan their lives and finances.
The founder of Women Strengthening Women, Women Strengthening Women, Mercy Adeojo, said Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes following subsidy removal and increased domestic refining efforts linked to private refinery operations.
According to her, while the reforms are expected to improve supply stability in the long term, the immediate experience for Nigerians has been marked by uncertainty and disappointment, especially after earlier expectations that local refining would reduce pump prices.
A petrol station attendant, Peter Maigari, said the worsening economic situation had forced him to sleep at the station from Monday to Friday because daily commuting had become too expensive.
He warned that the latest increase in fuel prices could trigger further rises in transport costs and inflation at a time many Nigerians are already struggling with rising living expenses.
Maigari added that frequent adjustments in fuel prices have also created uncertainty for workers in the downstream sector, as both attendants and motorists continue to grapple with constantly changing price regimes.
