For as long as I can remember, there has always been issues with fuel in my country which in turn affects so many other things in the economy. The least amount I remember buying fuel was 35 naira but guess the current price of fuel as at today? Between 700 and 800, or even more! That depends on the the filling station you visit. Every year, there is always news and developments concerning fuel in this country and there is usually scarcity every now and then.
The last fuel scarcity I witnessed made the price of fuel go up and most of those stations were selling at very outrageous prices. There was long queues at the station as well which led to traffic congestions and so much more issues. Some businesses were on hold and the fare prices obviously went up as well. I couldn't even blame the drivers that much, I understood where they were coming from too. This scarcity affected the prices of food items too, due to high cost of transportation as well. It got really crazy that Nigerians had to result to going on a peaceful protest at the beginning of the month.
Normally, I always marvel at how Nigerians adjust to suffering and uncomfortable developments that come up in the country. We just adjust and keep living but these past few months had been really crazy and I was so glad when people started voicing out and expressing their discomforts. Why should a country rich in so many resources be the one to lack so much? It's very disheartening that the kind of leaders that has been leading us do not have our interests in mind at all. All of them just wants to fight for their pockets and create generational wealth from what belongs to a whole country.
Apart from all these things I have mentioned above, there is one very concerning issue of transportation that is facing my country. It doesnt seem like one that can be worked on anytime soon because it will require a lot of restructuring. The roads around here aren't as bad as they used to be, there has been tremendous growth in that aspect and it is very beautiful to see as well. However, I am concerned about the initial structure of so many Nigerian roads that has been designed to be narrow. To me, the roads are not wide enough at all and this still contributes to traffic issues in the country.
I believe the road ought to be wide enough, especially those routes that are frequently navigated by the people. Then flyovers should have been built to allow safe crossing of people from one side of the road to the other. Also, the traffic light system is not really encouraging, although it has gotten better compared to the past. In the part of the country where I stay, some drivers still don't obey the traffic lights and nothing happens to them. There should be officers in charge of that, or maybe a system that records traffic offenders and make them face the penalty of their actions. This way, order will be restored and everyone will behave as they should.
The major thing we need around here is better governance. We need to have people that want things to work, to lead us. Transportation is very important to a country as it can affect so many other things. Our resources should be managed well to be of use to us more than any country. Price of fuel should be brought down and there should be price regulation in the country. Better road structure should be designed and road networks should be updated and improved. All these will altogether create a better transportation system in the country.
Thanks for reading ❤️