₦airaland Forum

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu boldly declared “fuel subsidy is gone” in May 2023, many Nigerians didn’t fully understand the storm that was coming. Overnight, the cost of fuel skyrocketed from ₦185/litre to over ₦800/litre, and for many, car keys became ornaments on the shelf. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

But true to Naija spirit, Nigerians are never without survival tactics. From okadas to office sleeping bags, the streets are full of genius (and sometimes hilarious) ways people are coping without personal cars.

Here are 7 brilliant ways Nigerians are surviving the fuel subsidy removal — and still showing up to the hustle like champs.

1. The Rise of ‘Japa’ Trekking

Who needs a treadmill when Lagos traffic already does the job? Many Nigerians now intentionally trek several kilometers daily. Some even track their steps on fitness apps, jokingly calling it “subsidy cardio.”

“I used to drive from Jakande to Lekki Phase 1. Now I walk part of the journey, and my jeans fit better,” — Nkem, a Lagos makeup artist.

🔍 Fact: A recent survey by SBM Intelligence showed that 38% of urban Nigerians now trek regularly to save transport costs.

2. Bikes and Keke Are the New Uber

With Uber and Bolt fares going insane, many Nigerians have turned to cheaper options like okadas and kekes. They may not be glamorous, but they get the job done — and fast!

Some Lagosians even carpool okadas, squeezing 2–3 friends on a single bike during rush hour.

Read Also: 7 Classic Lies Lagos Workers Tell (No. 3 Will Make Your Boss Side-Eye You)

3. Office Sleepovers Are Now Normal

Some workers, especially in tech and banking, now stay over at work to avoid commuting expenses. A few companies have even provided mats and pillows for this purpose.

“I only go home on weekends. It saves me ₦14,000 weekly,” — Uzo, a financial analyst in VI.

🔍 Fact: According to a Channels TV report, commuting now takes 30-50% of some Lagosians’ salaries.

4. Remote Work Boom (Thank You, Zoom!)

The fuel crisis made Nigerian employers rethink remote work. Startups, NGOs, and even churches now hold virtual meetings more often.

“Fuel subsidy killed our physical Monday devotions. Now we pray on WhatsApp voice note,” — Lekan, a church admin.

And just like that, data is the new fuel.

5. Electric Scooters & Bicycles Are Trending

It may sound like a futuristic solution, but electric scooters and bicycles are making waves in cities like Abuja and Lagos.

Young professionals are embracing these alternatives, and some estates have started supporting e-bike sharing services.

“I plug it at night, ride to work in the morning. I’ve not bought petrol in 3 weeks,” — Tope, a tech bro in Yaba.

🔍 Tip: Brands like Solar Taxi and MAX.ng are expanding their reach in Nigeria’s electric mobility space.

6. Bus-sharing WhatsApp Groups (Yes, It’s a Thing)

From Isolo to Berger, Nigerians are creating WhatsApp groups to coordinate morning and evening rides. Some even include trusted keke and danfo drivers.

It’s all about splitting costs — and building community.

“It’s not just transport. It’s vibes and survival,” — Joy, a HR exec in Surulere.

7. Portable Power Banks and Charging at Work

With longer trek times and unreliable public transport, people now carry power banks like water bottles. Others charge all their devices at work — including electric shavers and fans!

“Fuel is gold. If NEPA takes light, I wait till I get to the office to charge anything,” — Mustapha, a graphics designer.

Conclusion: Nigerians Never Carry Last

The fuel subsidy removal hit hard, no doubt. But if there’s one thing consistent in every corner of Nigeria, it’s resilience. From car-free commuting to co-riding Okadas, Nigerians have turned a crisis into creativity.

If you’re still surviving the subsidy wahala, share your unique story in the comments. Let’s document this era for the future — because Naija no dey carry last!

https://eyesoflagos.com/fuel-subsidy-wahala-7-ways-nigerians-are-surviving-without-cars/

cc: Mynd44 , Nlfpmod , Seun[b][/b][/b][b][/b][b][/b][b]

On ya mandate we shall trek, on ya mandate we shall trek, on ya mandate, on ya mandate, on ya mandate we shall trek !!!!

Una must get sense by force. So tay trekking with no food and even ordinary pure water.

Imagine trekking from Oworonshoki to Obalende. If na beg you go beg and you no meet the person, wetin remain again. No be kpai be that? I go soon reach, I go soon reach, na kpai next.

Imagine trekking from Oshodi to Mile 2, or from Mushin to Costain or from Ojuelegba to Apapa wharf. Imagine trekking from Dutse in Abuja to Secretariat. All because una vote for APC.

Most members of the national trekkers association (NTA) have one thing in common…NO FOOD FOR BELLE. Many youths trek from CMS to Mushin. E no far, e no far, na to fall down for road.

Continue hoping against hope.

Men wey dey sleep for office, trouble dey. You leave your wife, your neighbour take over in the night. Many women get belle. Some men’s daughters and wives have been impregnated by their Neighbour’s and friends.

Here, many no shishi boys no let us hear word. Kurubu here, Kurubu there. Na una sabi.

You see that trekking aspect with a little feel of Keke.... Does the magic

We keep surviving!

Suffering and smiling. In disguise.
God help us.
I no get 40 characters

Sleeping at filling station has been converted to sleeping in Office. Na step by step....

Our survival strategies are top notch.

Trekking is healthy and good

Let's embrace it

Made up bulllllshit

23 more characters neededd

Survival of the fittest. We move please add anything to it.

There's nothing new here, Nigerians have been doing almost all the above listed even b4 1960

Nigerians have the ability to adapt to any situation. Fuel subsidy removal affected nearly every aspect of our daily life with increase in the price of nearly everything from transportation to foodstuffs to electronics and cars too. We have all adapted to the reality facing us.

Automatically turning middle class men to poor & the already poor to die😁😁😁😁. Nigeria have never had it this bad since I was born

Even if they have cars, are they not going to fuel it

eyesoflagos:
https://eyesoflagos.com/fuel-subsidy-wahala-7-ways-nigerians-are-surviving-without-cars/

How did APC’s promised change become a change of promise into shege promax?

Buhari scammed us for eight years, after ebilokan made his expired northerner president to replace his fellow southerner Jonathan. Why should we let ebilokan do the same thing to us

Deltafirstson:
Although the pump price of fuel was N197 when President Bola Tinubu took over on May 29, 2023, the product now sells for N617 per litre – less than two months after.

In his inaugural address, Tinubu announced that subsidy was gone, fulfilling a promise that all leading presidential candidates made during the campaign.

However, pump price of fuel hit N537 per litre days after Tinubu ended subsidy.

On Tuesday, the price climbed further to N617, a development that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) attributed to “market forces”.

Nigerians have been lamenting the hardship occasioned by fuel price hike. Amid the lamentation, a video where Tinubu campaigned to slash the price of fuel went into circulation.

Checks by Daily Trust affirmed the authenticity of the video uploaded on the YouTube page of Channels Television.

At his campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on January 25, 2023, Tinubu spoke on a number of issues, but those of fuel scarcity and naira redesign made the headlines.

However, Tinubu who spoke in Yoruba language, also assured the crowd that though people were saying petrol price would hit N200, it would be reviewed downward under him.

“The great Nigerian youths, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youths. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200 per litre. Go and relax, we will bring it down,” he had said in the 7th minute of the video.

King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, a Fuji musician who performed at the rally, interrupted the president’s speech with chants as the crowd cheered.

On the campaign podium with the president were Vice-President Kashim Shettima; Pa Bisi Akande, interim National Chairman of the APC; Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President; Senator Gbenga Daniel; among other bigwigs of the ruling party.

Tinubu went further to say Nigerians would defy the acute fuel scarcity at the time and trek to cast their votes.

“The great Nigerian youths, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youths. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200/N500 per litre. Go and relax, we will crash the prices,” he had said.

https://dailytrust.com/breaking-video-of-tinubu-campaigning-to-crash-fuel-

he had said in the 7th minute of the video.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JH8CC_JdUA

Perhaps those in the cities are most affected, but I do know that there are villages the people can access all the parts on foot and can go a whole month without the need to visit the neighboring villages. This may seem strange to a lot of people but if you happen to have done your NYSC in certain villages, then you will know that I am saying the truth.

For people in those kinds of villages, the increase in the cost of petrol is not such a big deal to them as even most of their food stuff is sort from the farm that they go to with bicycles, foot or bikes.

Cj4charles:
Automatically turning middle class men to poor & the already poor to die😁😁😁😁. Nigeria have never had it this bad since I was born

That is the only thing that makes ebilokan happy.

anonimi:
The eyesore on Bourdillon Road
2nd January 2025

Beyond his neighbours, there is something about the sight of people hanging around a president’s residence that does not speak well of his leadership capabilities. Maybe no one has nudged him to see it, but the impression that spectacle on Bourdillon Road generates is that Tinubu enjoys the sight of suffering humans and thrives in—and through— their poverty.

If all these years, impoverished people hang around you and you remain comfortable enough to keep them just so they can be handed tokens of your large heart, then it means you have a pro-poverty mindset. Such a frame of mind is oriented toward cultivating poverty rather than stimulating abundance.

That is why he could unproblematically relate the story of his “friend” who went from using five Rolls Royce to a far-less valued car and not consider the import of the nonsense he was saying. That spurious account was an indication that this is a man for whom poverty—of others, not himself—is an ideal.

https://punchng.com/the-eyesore-on-bourdillon-road/

Cj4charles:
Automatically turning middle class men to poor & the already poor to die😁😁😁😁. Nigeria have never had it this bad since I was born

I tell you....It is a Catastrophic era, with an inept and economically impotent government in place, whose only achievement is to use the threat of survival to defect mentally ailing & belly-following opposition governors

You are right to some extents.

Many private car owners have resorted to commercial usage while pick-up drivers are also not left out.

It is not uncommon to see people jumping on the back of pick-ups, especially from places like Oshodi under bridge, Berger and Iyana Oworo at early hour of the day commuting to Victoria Island/Eko Hotel at relatively cheaper fare

Agbadorian spotted!

Suffering and smiling

Clean2016:
Our survival strategies are top notch.

Trekking is healthy and good

Let's embrace it

This GOVERNMENT

The GREATEST mistake to befall Nigeria since 2012 at Ojota protest

Check the effect of all their doings with Nigeria....

From Ojota protest to the installation of Buhari till the current calamity in power.

They are 10 years in power and based on the CHANGE mantra, Nigeria is supposed to a growth lane.....

Only God can save us NOW

As beautiful as the removals of subsides were coupled with attendant sufferings of nigerians making sacrifices towards a better country where are the savings,the leaderships of this corrupt entity claimed will be injected back into the economy to alleviate sufferings,rather they are devising means to share among themselves after sharing blame coalition that’s another landmines.

Cj4charles:
Automatically turning middle class men to poor & the already poor to die😁😁😁😁. Nigeria have never had it this bad since I was born

You are absolutely right, sir. Nothing has changed since this man took office

What happened to CNG this administration was pushing hard?

OK

our leaders should just do something about it that will help the masses for good


Princess Faith Chukwuamaka

This image is still depicting FAT people, even the guy sleeping on the road is FAT.
Oyibo AI has not yet understood that everybody in the picture is supposed to be THIN and hungry looking.

Africa China hit song came to mind... suffering n smiling wen politicians take it all. I pray we get things right.

Sounds funny, but very sad.
There was truly a country

CalabarSamurai:
On ya mandate we shall trek, on ya mandate we shall trek, on ya mandate, on ya mandate, on ya mandate we shall trek !!!!

It’s true Nigerians have short memories.

Fuel was sold for 1800 to 2k last year. I still remember buying fuel 2k a litter. Despite it drop to 850. Things in the market and transport is still worst off. Reasons tinubu shouldn’t have touch fuel price. he shouldn’t have go near there. Once things goes up they never come down. Even if fuel go down to 200. Landlords will not reduce rent again. And things will not remain the same again.

Tinubu the Borrower.

And all these debts are not visible on the streets neither palpable by the citizens.

And the shameless cult group of his supporters will be defending this nonsense.

Lolz Nigerians never see anything 😁, the real suffering still dey front.

Nigerians: push us to the wall and we’ll break it to make more space. Suffer no dey tire us.