Since the fuel subsidy was removed following its
announcement by President Bola Tinubu during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have been
embracing a range of tactics and strategies to alter their lifestyles to meet the country's market inflation.


President Tinubu, in his inauguration speech, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, saying there was no provision for it and could no longer be justified.
Within 24 hours of this pronouncement, petrol prices at
filling stations around the country soared by about 150%, bringing the cost to between N500 and N600 per
litre from between N200 and N250, the price before the removal of subsidy.

The hikes in petrol prices had an immediate impact on products and basic commodities in Nigerian markets – online and physical. For example, commercial drivers across the country raised transport fares, claiming that the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy had automatically
resulted in an increase in their operating costs.

This situation has forced many Nigerians to adjust their lifestyles to reflect the current socioeconomic conditions of Africa’s most populous country.
One of such people is Aminu Usman, who has had to forsake his car in favour of a motorcycle due to the
current fuel price increase.
Aminu, a civil servant of Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria, said that he can no longer afford to drive his
Lexus car to work every day so he bought himself a motorcycle.
“My income cannot sustain me to keep buying like N4,000 fuel daily to take my car to the office again, this is the reason I decided to get a bike.
Thank God the bike does not consume fuel like a car,” he told Sahara Reporters.

While recognising that his motorbike is less expensive to operate, he did not deny that it is less comfortable to
ride than his car in the sweltering heat of Sokoto.
“You feel more comfortable inside a car because it will protect you from the sun and you can on your AC. But that is not possible on a motorbike,” Aminu added.


Aminu also stated that the hikes in.fuel prices have caused his family to reduce the number of hours they use their generator to supplement the epileptic power supply at their residence.

“Power supply is poor in our area. Before I used to put my generator on at night, mostly for my family if there is no power. We put on it immediately after Magrib (7 pm) till around 1 am. But now, definitely, the time has been reduced because of the fuel situation.

“I don’t even have a fixed time for that again. I only put on the generator when it is necessary now and thank God my wife and children understand the situation,” he said.


Aminu’s story is similar to what millions of Nigerians are currently facing. For instance, a shop owner who sells electronic gadgets at Shehu Shagari Market, Isa Ahmadu, shared with Sahara reporters how the current hikes in fuel prices have affected his business.


Ahmadu said due to the nature of his business, his shop is expected to always have electricity without
interruption so that he can test gadgets for buyers, and he had relied heavily on his generator due to poor power supply in the market.


“The hike in the price of fuel is now.a big problem for my business. How much am I making at the shop to be
buying fuel at that price?” he queried.

Ahmadu added that he had totally stopped using his generator and installed solar panels to generate
power for his shop.


In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a civil servant, Mrs Oluwakemi Adeleke, now only uses her car to get out of her neighbourhood due to its bad roads when going to work.
Once she gets to the main road, Adeleke parks her car by the road and takes a tricycle (popularly called Keke Marwa) or a bus to get to work.
“Since the removal of fuel subsidy, things have been hard. I knew immediately that I had to makendrastic adjustments. So now, I only use the car to get out of my area to the main road, which takes a little over 10 minutes.

“I park my car at a junction and take a bus or Keke Marwa to get to work.
On my way back home, I just get the car and drive back home,” she said.


Samuel John, a businessman in Abeokuta, Ogun State explained how.he reduced what he called ‘Gen time’ (the time he has his generator.on) from about 5 hours to just one hour.
“Normally, I would put on the.generator around 7.30 pm and put it off by midnight or 12.30 am. But since subsidy was removed, that has changed.


“Gen time is only one hour now; I only put it on for one hour. If I put it.on at 8 pm, then at exactly 9 pm, I
put it off. I had to sit my wife and children down to explain the situation to them and that is how it has been. They understand that things cannot remain the same.”


A student of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, who lives in Lagos said he had since stopped going to the
barbershop.
The student who simply identified himself as Damilola said the moment barbers in his Ogba area increased
the price of getting a haircut to N1000 from N500, he bid them ‘goodbye’.


“Interestingly, I have a clipper but I just didn’t see the need to be giving myself a haircut but now, that is what I do.


“The only thing is that I don’t give myself any fanciful haircut, I just cut it low and ensure it is uniform. In
about 20 minutes, I am done and that saves me N1,000,” he said.

Righthussle:
No matter the situation, make Una try dey chop oo. Ulcer drug dey cost oo.

Opanka44:


Where food dey. I haven't seen food to eat since yesterday and there's seemingly no end in sight

Righthussle:


Ulcer dey oo. Find something chop oo.

Opanka44:


I don't have funds to buy food Sir. And I have ulcer

Righthussle:


Take am easy abi make I send my azza ?

CyberHustle:
Replace sugar with sweeteners.

Trek to main jucntion around then board keke.

Opanka44:
The hardship is frustrating me right now.