Galway Nigerians are deeply concerned for family and friends at home as a 50 per cent hike in petrol prices and the ever widening gap between rich and poor is set to make life even more difficult in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria has been convulsed in recent weeks as tension between government, unions, and the general population erupted following the administration’s attempt to eliminate fuel subsidies and hike the price of petrol by 150 per cent.
The attempted action led to trade union body, The Nigerian Labour Congress, calling for a nationwide strike which brought the country to a stand-still. The strike endured despite heavy handed action from the authorities in some areas, which resulted in violence as police fired on demonstrators.
Nonetheless the trade unions and the public forced their government to back down on the planned hike somewhat, by agreeing to a hike of 50 per cent instead. As a result, the nationwide strike was called off on Monday.
For Galway based Nigerians, watching the unfolding events, enormous concerns remain, as they fear family and friends will continue to suffer economic exploitation and sub-standard services and infrastructure.
“The strike was called off on Monday but the question now is what will happen to the extra money that will be made from petrol?” asks Chris Okeke of Afro-Renaissance, a representative and cultural group for Africans in Galway.
Mr Okeke says the 50 per cent increase is worrying for two reasons. He says it still represents a major hike in prices for ordinary Nigerians, whose average wage is 18,000 naira a month - the equivalent of €85/100.
“A person on this wage not only has to look after themselves, they also have to look after their family, and maintain their car, pay tax, and buy petrol,” he says. “It is very hard to do that on about €85 a month. This is as opposed to a senator in Nigeria who gets $135,000 a month, while the president has a budget of three million naira to cover his daily expenses.”
Mr Okeke also says there is concern over what, if any, use the Nigerian government will make of the revenue generated from the new petrol prices.
“What group will look after the funds generated by the excess in the petrol prices and will they actually spend it on improving services, resources, and infrastructure?” asks Mr Okeke. “The government says it will but these promises has been made before over the last 10 years and the government has never delivered.
“There has been no analysis of how this money is going to be used, how it will affect inflation, how people on the minimum wage will be affected, and how can they afford it.”
Peter Ijegbulem, also of Afro-Renaissance, outlines the situation may Nigerians have to endure on a daily basis.
“There is inconsistency in the electrical power supply and there is no water supply in many neighbourhoods,” he says. “Many children have to go to schools that are dilapidated and with no roofs. There is no health system. Many roads are in poor condition and some areas remain inaccessible by car.”
Afro-Renaissance is calling on the Nigerian government to honour its commitments regarding the extra revenue generated by the hike in petrol.
“We are calling on the Nigerian government to put in place an adequate democratic process and to deliver and prioritise social amenities and infrastructure for the people,” Mr Okeke says. “The income needs to be used to develop roads, the health and education systems.”
Mr Ijegbulem adds: “The people are not asking for alms, they are only asking for basic amenities.”
