News

Special Report:Fuel Hike and the Weight of Distant Wars

Published

6 months ago

March 11, 2026

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The faint hum of generators, once the relentless backdrop of life in the heart of its place, a heavier quiet has settled—born of grim resignation as the ripple effects of a distant geopolitical storm crash onto the wallets of ordinary Nigerians.

Here in Mararaba, the complaint is not just about the new numbers on the fuel pump. It is about the arithmetic of survival that no longer adds up. The latest hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which dealers attribute to the escalating crisis in the Middle East—a conflict many here note involves the United States, Israel, and Iran—has plunged residents into familiar but increasingly unbearable hardship.

To understand the human weight of this policy, I took to the streets and queues of Mararaba, annex to the Federal Capital Territory, to speak with those who feel they are paying the price for a war thousands of miles away.

At a crowded NNPC filling station in Nyanya, where the queue of vehicles stretched nearly a kilometer under the harsh sun, I met Nasir, a commercial bus driver. He leaned against his battered Korope bus, wiping sweat from his brow, watching the attendant update the price board.

“Look at this,” Nasir said, his voice a mix of anger and exhaustion. “Just last week, I was managing. Now they tell us because there is war between Israel and Iran, and because America supports Israel, the price must go up again. What does that have to do with us in Abuja?”

Nasir’s math is simple but devastating. “I used to buy fuel here for around N700. Now we are pushing N1,000 and above, and they say it might go to N1,500 if the crisis continues. My transport fare? If I double it, my passengers—civil servants, traders, students—cannot pay. If I don’t, I go home with nothing. The politicians in America and Israel are fighting a war with our stomachs.”

His lament echoes the reality of transport inflation, which has spiked dramatically since the removal of subsidies, now worsened by global tensions.

Across town on Abacha Road, at a modern but nearly empty restaurant, I found Yakubu, a small business owner who runs a catering service. For him, the fuel hike is a “tax” on everything he buys.

“It is a chain. I cook with gas, but the price of gas goes up because the dollar is high and the market fears the war. I transport food to clients, but fuel for my van is now this much,” he said, snapping his fingers. “The government tells us it is ‘market forces’ and the war in the Middle East. I am not a fool. I know the Middle East is unstable because of the US and its allies. But why is Nigeria’s economy tied so tightly to their conflicts? Why are we still importing fuel when we have refineries? We are suffering for their wars and our leaders’ incompetence.”

At Mararaba market, the complaints are less about geopolitics and more about the immediate struggle to fill a pot. Anwar, a tailor, sat idle at his sewing machine. The shop beside him, a provisions store, was dark.

“My neighbor cannot afford to run his generator today,” Anwar said, gesturing to the dark shop. “He sells cold drinks and water. If he has no light, he has no business. If he uses a generator, his profit is gone because diesel is over N1,000 in some places. This is the reality. America, Israel, and Iran are fighting, and my neighbor loses his livelihood.”

The sentiment is backed by data. According to a recent NOIPolls report, 85% of Nigerians disapprove of the fuel subsidy removal, and 93% believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. For people like Anwar, the official explanations ring hollow.

“They say it is deregulation, that it is global politics,” he continued, shaking his head. “I say it is abandonment. We are being buried alive by policies made in Washington and Tel Aviv, carried out by Abuja.”

The geopolitical angle is a particularly bitter pill to swallow. In a country already grappling with high living costs, the idea that a conflict far removed from Africa’s Sahel could dictate the price of commuting to work or powering a small clinic breeds deep resentment.

Ibrahim, a retiree and civil servant, sat on his veranda in Angwa Katsinawa listening to the rare silence where generators once roared.

“Since 2023, when President Tinubu said ‘subsidy is gone,’ we have been on a rollercoaster to poverty. Now this war gives them the perfect excuse to finish us off. The government says the NNPC made this decision based on ‘market realities.’ What reality? The reality that America supports Israel, and Iran threatens retaliation? Why must my pension suffer for that?”

His frustration touches on a key point raised by experts: the escalating conflict threatens to push the subsidy burden—or the cost passed to consumers—past a staggering N644 billion monthly if oil prices spike.

As the sun set over Mararaba, taxis and buses were fewer on the roads. Many drivers, like Sadiq, a university graduate who drives for a ride-hailing app, simply parked for the day.

“I cannot make money if I spend all day in a fuel queue or if 70% of what I earn goes into the tank,” Sadiq said, scrolling through his phone, which showed a fraction of his usual earnings. “They talk about the crisis in the Middle East. But we have a crisis here. It is a crisis of hunger. Until the US, Israel, and Iran stop fighting, we suffer. Until our government decides to fix our refineries, we suffer. We are just pawns.”

As I left him, Sadiq called out, “Tell them we are tired. We are tired of paying for wars we did not start.”

It is a sentiment that hangs heavy in Nigeria’s air—a feeling of being trapped between the anvil of global politics and the hammer of local economic policy.

News

KANSIEC Chairman Advises Fruits Sellers Association to Modernize Business

Published

14 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

The Fruits Sellers Association, Kano State Chapter, has been advised to develop a strategic plan within a specific timeframe to modernize its business operations.

The Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, KANSIEC, Professor Sani Lawal Malumfashi, gave the advice during a courtesy visit by members of the association to his office.

Professor Malumfashi stated that the fruit business anywhere in the world serves customers from all backgrounds, both rich and poor, due to the importance of fruits in food consumption.

He maintained that the association should seek recognition across the three tiers of government in order to benefit from government policies and programmes.

The KANSIEC Chairman added that the present administration under the Executive Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, is transforming Kano into a modern metropolitan city with many parks. He said fruit sellers should secure designated spaces around the corners of flyovers across the city.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Fruits Sellers Association of Nigeria, Kano State Chapter, Alhaji Safiyanu Abdullahi, said they visited KANSIEC to seek guidance on how to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections within the association.

Bashir Habib Yahya
Media Aide to the KANSIEC Chairman
Date: 11/09/2026

News

Breaking :Former PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur Is Dead

Published

17 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

Former Chairman of the peoples Democratic party during Jonathan’s administration Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is dead .

A credible source in Yola the capital of Adamawa state informed Nigerian Tracker that Alhaji Bamanga Tukur passes on in Abuja.

The source said his body will later be conveyed to Yola the capital of Adamawa state for funeral at the palace of Lamidon Adamawa Alhaji Muhammad Barkindo .

Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Mahmud Tukur (CON) was a prominent Nigerian politician, businessman, administrator, and elder statesman who has had a towering impact on Nigeria’s socio-political and economic sectors for over six decades.

He was widely recognized for his roles as the former Governor of the old Gongola State, the former Minister of Industries, and the former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Early Life and EducationDate of Birth: Born on 15 September 1935 in what is today Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Higher Education: He obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States.

Honorary Recognition: He was awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Honoris Causa) by Benue State University in Makurdi, Nigeria.

Traditional Titles: Reflecting his high regional and cultural status, he holds the distinguished traditional titles of Tafidan Adamawa and Wakilin Ganye in Adamawa State.

Career in Public Service & Governance
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA):
Served as General Manager/Chief Executive from 1975 to 1982, managing port congestion and modernizing seaports.

Governor of Old Gongola State: Elected during the Second Republic in 1982, serving a brief term before the December 1983 military coup.

Minister for Industries: Served under General Sani Abacha’s military administration from 1993 to 1995.

Business and Continental Leadership Founder of BHI Holdings (Daddo Group),

Tukur expanded his economic influence across Africa:

Africa Business Roundtable (ABR): Founder, past president, and Life Patron.

NEPAD Business Group: Elected Chairman in March 2002.

International Maritime Stature: First African Vice President of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH)

PDP National Chairmanship (2012–2014)Elected PDP National Chairman in March 2012.

News

Nigeria’s Oil Output Hits 1.573m bpd as OPEC Production Rises–Report Says

Published

1 day ago

September 11, 2026

Nigerian Tracker

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nigeria’s crude oil production, excluding condensate, rose by 35,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.573 million bpd in August 2026, from 1.537 million bpd in July, according to the latest data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The increase, representing a 2.3 per cent month-on-month (MoM) growth, places Nigeria among OPEC members that recorded higher production during the month.

OPEC, in its latest monthly data based on direct communication from member countries, said Nigeria’s August output was its highest monthly production level in the data provided for 2026.

The August figure also exceeded Nigeria’s average production of 1.552 million bpd in the second quarter of 2026, indicating a gradual improvement in upstream output.

The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government and oil producers to boost production through improved security, fresh upstream investments, new projects and the rehabilitation of existing assets.

Across OPEC, crude oil production increased by 346,000 bpd to 24.081 million bpd in August, from 23.735 million bpd in July.

Iraq recorded the largest increase among OPEC members, with output surging by 664,000 bpd to 3.378 million bpd. Kuwait followed with a 49,000-bpd increase to 1.894 million bpd, while the United Arab Emirates added 54,000 bpd to reach 3.835 million bpd.

Venezuela also increased production by 23,000 bpd to 1.145 million bpd.

However, some major producers recorded declines. Saudi Arabia’s output fell by 75,000 bpd to 7.276 million bpd, while Algeria and Libya declined by 8,000 bpd and 9,000 bpd to 999,000 bpd and 1.355 million bpd respectively.

Iran recorded the largest decline, with production dropping by 399,000 bpd to 2.086 million bpd.

Beyond OPEC, total production by the broader OPEC+ group, comprising OPEC members and participating non-OPEC producers under the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC), rose by 297,000 bpd to 38.055 million bpd in August.

Within the non-OPEC DoC group, Kazakhstan increased production by 159,000 bpd to 1.807 million bpd, while Russia cut output by 160,000 bpd to 8.718 million bpd.

For Nigeria, the latest production increase could provide some relief to government revenue and foreign exchange earnings, given the continued importance of crude oil exports to the economy.

Nigeria has set a target of raising crude oil production towards three million bpd by 2030, making sustained increases essential to achieving the ambition.

However, the country still faces significant challenges, including ageing fields, infrastructure constraints, crude theft, funding difficulties and the need to attract new investment into the upstream sector.

The August performance therefore represents progress, but maintaining the upward trend will be crucial if Nigeria is to close the gap between current production and its ambitious 2030 target.