Former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar contended that living costs in Nigeria now exceed those in Kenya, countering President Bola Tinubu's claim that fuel is cheaper in Nigeria. Tinubu made the remark during a visit to Bayelsa State, asserting that Nigerian fuel prices are lower than in Kenya and other African nations.
Atiku's spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, released a statement on Saturday describing the president's comparison as "shallow," misleading and a distortion of Nigerians' reality. The former vice‑president questioned why the president focused solely on fuel prices while overlooking broader indicators such as purchasing power, income levels and overall cost of living.
Citing data, Atiku noted that Kenya's minimum wage is twice Nigeria's N70,000 and that Kenya's GDP per capita is almost double Nigeria's. He added that a minimum‑wage earner in Nairobi receives the equivalent of about N170,000, more than twice the Nigerian benchmark.
Daily Post reported current fuel prices of N1,290‑N1,350 per litre in Nigeria, compared with over N1,800 per litre in Kenya. Despite the lower pump price, Atiku maintained that the average cost of living remains higher in Nigeria.
Atiku Abubakar's blunt rebuke of President Tinubu's fuel‑price brag reveals a deeper contest over economic narratives, not merely a debate over litre‑by‑litre costs.
By foregrounding Kenya's higher minimum wage—N170,000 versus Nigeria's N70,000—and its nearly double GDP per capita, Atiku shifts the conversation to real household purchasing power. The president's focus on cheaper petrol obscures the fact that Nigerians spend a larger share of their income on food, housing and utilities, a disparity that fuels public discontent.
For ordinary Nigerians, especially low‑income earners in Lagos, Kano and other urban centres, the disparity means that even modest fuel savings do little to ease daily budgeting pressures. The higher overall cost of living erodes disposable income, limiting access to essential goods and services.
This clash mirrors a recurring pattern in Nigerian politics where selective statistics are deployed to project optimism, while broader socioeconomic indicators tell a more sobering story.
