The Imo State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has told Nigerians to stop complaining about economic hardship. He said inflation is happening everywhere and that fuel is cheaper in Nigeria than in other countries. The remarks, shared in a video, drew a wave of criticism online. The video is here. Below, we check what the figures say.
Part True, Part Missing: What the Numbers Say About “Fuel Is Cheaper Here” (Comparing Petrol Prices Across Countries)
The chairman’s fuel claim has some support. The world average petrol price was about $1.47 a litre in July 2026. Nigeria’s was about $0.78, while Ghana’s was $1.42 and Kenya’s $1.64. In August, another report put Nigeria at about $0.931 per litre, which it said was well below the global average, and ranked it eighth cheapest in Africa. So, against many countries, Nigerian petrol is cheaper.
But the claim leaves out an important group. The cheapest countries are oil producers that subsidise fuel (support the price with public money). Libya, Iran and Venezuela sell petrol for under $0.05 a litre, and Angola, Kuwait, Algeria, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are all under $0.65. Nigeria is itself a major oil producer, so many Nigerians compare themselves with these countries, as the opposition leader Atiku Abubakar did in September when he asked why petrol is cheaper in Libya, Angola and Algeria. So “cheaper than other countries” is true for some and false for others.
The bigger gap is purchasing power (what your money can actually buy). A price in dollars does not show how much of a person’s pay it takes. An opposition party, the Allied People’s Movement, made this point about a similar claim by Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo, noting that the monthly minimum wage in Nigeria is ₦70,000 while a British worker earns far more. That figure is the party’s claim, but we can do simple arithmetic. At the ₦1,380 per litre that Lagos stations charged in September, ₦70,000 buys about 50 litres. Prices may have changed since.
“Inflation Is Everywhere” Is True, But the Size of the Problem Differs: Nigeria Against the World (Comparing Inflation Rates)
Inflation is indeed a global issue. The IMF projected global inflation at 3.8 percent for 2026. It later warned that the energy shock from the Middle East war could push inflation higher, and that emerging and developing economies would be hit hardest.
Nigeria’s own figures are much higher. The National Bureau of Statistics reported headline inflation at 15.39 percent in August 2026, with food inflation at 19.57 percent. The rate has fallen from 23.14 percent a year earlier, which is real progress. But a falling rate only means prices are rising more slowly, not that they have dropped. For comparison, the IMF projects Ghana’s inflation at 7.9 percent by the end of 2026. So inflation is everywhere, but Nigerians are feeling more of it than many others.
This Is Not the First Time Officials Have Told Nigerians Not to Complain: Similar Remarks and What Followed (Past Cases of Fuel Price Comparisons)
The chairman’s comments echo others made recently. In early October, Governor Okpebholo said Nigerians should not complain about petrol above ₦1,500 per litre because it costs about ₦3,000 in the United Kingdom. The APM called the comparison “callous.” About a month ago, the APC’s publicity director, Ibrahim Bala, said petrol was now available and affordable and that it was cheaper in Nigeria than in the UK or US, even though it had soared to almost ₦1,500 in parts of the country.
Each time, critics replied that the comparison ignores wages. The pressure behind it is real. Nigeria recorded the largest petrol price increase in Africa, rising 39.5 percent between February 23 and March 16, 2026, after the US/Israel-Iran war began. Petrol first crossed ₦1,000 per litre in 2023 after the subsidy was removed. The pattern is clear: whenever prices jump, officials offer comparisons, and the public pushes back.
Why Prices Climb and Why the Pain Feels Worse at Home: Causes of the Current Squeeze (Fuel, Currency and Incomes)
Several forces are at work. One is the global oil market. The Middle East conflict pushed oil prices up, and Nigeria’s petrol price follows the market because the subsidy was partly removed. Another is the naira. A report on Nigerian petrol prices points to inflation, currency depreciation and global oil price swings as the factors that pushed prices to records. A weaker naira makes imported goods and fuel costlier for everyone.
The third factor is local costs. Petrol prices are tied to the refinery’s gantry price. In September, Dangote Refinery raised its price from ₦1,265 to ₦1,350 per litre, and Leadership reported that transport fares then rose in Lagos and Ogun. Fuel feeds into transport, food and almost every other cost.
Finally, incomes have not kept pace. When prices rise faster than pay, the same salary buys less. That is the heart of the public’s complaint.
Telling People Not to Complain Has Its Own Cost: Effects on Households, Trust and Politics (Impact of Dismissive Remarks)
The first effect is on families. Food makes up the largest share of the inflation rate. Higher transport and food costs squeeze meals, school fees and savings. Workers who depend on cars, like ride-hailing drivers in Lagos, have begun striking over fuel costs.
The second effect is on trust. When officials seem to dismiss hardship, people feel unheard. One observer quoted in the backlash said the real question is whether Nigerians can afford basic necessities, not whether other countries have inflation.
The third effect is political. With the 2027 election season approaching, such remarks give opponents easy material, and the APM has already urged voters to treat the elections as a way to respond to economic concerns. [https://thisnigeria.com/apm-decries-okpebholos-fuel-remarks-urges-focus-on-living-standards/] For the country, it also matters that citizens and leaders can discuss hardship honestly, because policy depends on knowing what people are facing.
Answering Hardship With Action, Not Comparisons: Steps Leaders Could Take (Possible Solutions)
First, leaders can speak plainly. Acknowledge that prices have risen, explain the causes, and share what the government is doing about them. Comparisons with other countries are fair only when wages and living costs are included.
Second, incomes and costs need attention together. The government could consider wage reviews, targeted support for transport workers and low-income households, and cheaper public transport options. We offer these as ideas, not as proven fixes.
Third, steadier fuel and food prices depend on a steadier naira, reliable local refining and better transport and storage for food. NBS data show that food remains the biggest driver of inflation.
Fourth, transparency would help. Publishing how fuel prices are set, and what is being done to bring them down, would reduce suspicion.
A Fair Comparison Must Include the Wallet: Our Closing Reflection (Honesty About What Citizens Face)
We believe the chairman is right on one point. Inflation is a global problem, and Nigeria’s petrol is cheaper than in many countries. The data support both statements.
But the facts do not end there. Nigeria’s inflation is far above the world average, food prices are rising fast, and petrol is cheaper abroad in several oil-producing countries. Most importantly, a Nigerian worker’s pay buys far less fuel than a worker’s pay in richer countries. Leaving that out makes a comparison incomplete.
We believe citizens have every right to speak about the cost of living, and that leaders gain more by listening than by asking for silence. We urge officials of all parties to give Nigerians clear numbers, honest explanations and practical help. We will continue to report on prices and on the response.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
