Nigerians on social media woke up to heated discussions over possible increases in transport fares, following overnight rumors of another fuel price adjustment by petrol marketers.
On X (formerly Twitter), several transport-related accounts and driver associations hinted at a potential fare hike if the new fuel price trends continue. Posts carrying hashtags such as #FuelPrice, #TransportFare, and #NigeriaEconomy trended through the early hours of Friday, as commuters expressed growing anxiety about daily costs.
In one viral post, a user claiming to represent a Lagos drivers’ group stated that “passengers should prepare for new fare rates next week if the depot price of petrol doesn’t stabilize.”
Others echoed the sentiment, saying that rising black-market fuel prices are already making daily operations unsustainable. This comes after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) confirmed a recent adjustment in petrol pump prices, citing an increase in the ex-depot rate and rising logistics costs.
Reports show that petrol now sells for as high as N992 per litre in parts of Lagos and Abuja, up from the previous N865.
Commuters have expressed worry over the possibility of higher transport fares, noting that any increase would further worsen the cost of living.
“If fares go up again, many people will simply start walking to work,” one Lagos resident commented under a viral post. Although no official transport union has announced a new fare regime, analysts say that with rising fuel costs, fare adjustments are likely if the situation persists.
Fuel price fluctuations have remained a key driver of inflation in Nigeria since the removal of subsidies in 2023. Each pump price increase typically triggers immediate hikes in transport fares and commodity prices, affecting millions of Nigerians who rely on public transport for daily movement.
