Workers across Nigeria are drowning in transport costs. The spike in fuel prices has made commuting a financial crisis for millions.
Petrol prices nearly doubled in recent months. In Abuja, prices climbed from around N800 to N1,400 per litre.
Linda Ude works as a health practitioner in the capital. She told reporters her transport expenses now consume over half her monthly earnings.
"Keeping up with these costs is becoming impossible," Ude said. She explained that taxi fares have more than doubled in just two months.
Her daily commute alone costs N6,000. Yet her salary barely reaches N200,000 monthly.
She's already sacrificed other needs because of transport. A package arrived six days ago, but she can't afford to pick it up.
"I haven't saved a single naira this month," the health worker noted. She called on government to launch a mass transit system urgently.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics confirms her struggles. Intra-city transport fares jumped nearly 15 percent in a single month.
According to the NBS Transport Fare Watch report released Thursday, bus fares within cities rose 14.86 percent to N1,373.49. Long-distance travel surged even faster at 17.95 percent.
Motorcycle taxi fares climbed too. In March, okada rides averaged N1,004.34, up 9.05 percent from February.
Ayomide Bryan, a civil servant, shared similar frustrations. He spends more than N5,000 daily just getting around the city.
His Dutse-to-Area 1 ride costs N1,500 alone. Then he needs another taxi to reach his office.
Transport now takes up about 60 percent of Bryan's salary. He told our correspondent the situation has become unbearable.
What troubles him most is the absence of government buses. He remembers when state-owned transit was available and affordable.
"We really need those buses back on the roads," Bryan said at Area 1 bus stop. Government vehicles would ease the financial burden, he argued.
Safety is another concern Bryan raised. Privately-operated vehicles put passengers at risk of robbery and worse.
"Criminals target commuters every single day," he explained. Some passengers don't even make it home alive.
Government buses would eliminate this danger. Riding public transport wouldn't mean fearing for your life.
The combination of high fares and insecurity is pushing workers to breaking point. Many are reconsidering whether they can afford to keep working.
Officials haven't responded to calls for urgent intervention. The crisis deepens as fuel costs remain elevated.
Healthcare workers, civil servants, and ordinary Nigerians all face the same squeeze. Their salaries haven't grown to match the transportation explosion.
Without immediate government action, more workers may exit the formal economy. The transport crisis threatens Nigeria's workforce stability.
