I am from Nigeria and ever since the American and Iran war started, the price of fuel pump has been increase by over 20% of the previous price. I don’t understand how a war fought in far-away countries from my own country should be able to increase my pump price.
I am aware Nigeria is a crude oil producing nation and I know she ships crude oil to America to refine for herself before selling it to us. Nevertheless, the country now has a working and fully indigenous refinery and yet, the pump price still went up due to a war that have nothing to do with Nigeria.
We already know what the fuel pump price increase have been doing to this country since this government came on board; what we are experiencing now is further making things worst and the prices of items especially food are on the increase with lots of homes unable to feed a proper meal at least once a day.
The questions I kept asking myself was; how does a war fought far away from my home turn into the reason ordinary Nigerians can’t afford to eat at least one decent meal a day?
The usual answer many give is that when there is conflict in the Middle East, crude oil global prices skyrocket. This is due to increased uncertainty among traders that there could be a shortage in the supply of the commodity because Middle East controls about half of world oil supply. When the price increase the oil importing countries would have to pay higher price for refined fuel.
Even with that explanation, many Nigerians will find it hard to agree.
Although Nigeria is a crude oil producer but this country have been importing fuel from other nations for years on the grounds that the refineries are not working well and we ship the crude oil out. But now, one refinery is fully working and the prices still go up for a conflict that has no link with Nigeria.
When the present government came to power, the first thing they did was to remove fuel subsiding thereby increasing the price of fuel pump, and since then, everything increase in prices especially food item without a thought for the common man whose salary is fixed while expenses keeps soaring.
Now, we know that increasing fuel prices will not only increase transportation prices but also transportation of goods would cost more and that would directly lead to increase in prices food items in the Nigerian markets.
Why we are still paying higher prices than countries that don't produce any crude oil at all is something that many Nigerians would never understand even with the new refinery functioning perfectly. The increase will only take away more food from the tables of many Nigerian families.
It's the common people who will feel the weight of it all. Many Nigerian families were already struggling with expenses before now with the salaries fixed and the prices of items increasing continuously; I can’t see how I could agree that a war on the other side of the world directly has a link with decreasing our daily earnings even more.
It only feels like sometimes in this global village, decisions made miles away somehow touch your life, you just can't seem to see the connection at first but it will be evident sooner or later.