Soaring Transport Costs Drive Wave of Resignations as Nigerian Workers Struggle to Stay Afloat

The recent spike in transportation costs due to rising fuel prices is pushing many Nigerian workers to resign from their jobs or make drastic adjustments to cope with the financial strain, SK Blog has learned.

The surge in fuel prices has followed several policy changes, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) increasing petrol pump prices twice in 2023. Prices rose from N617 to between N850 and N950 per liter in Lagos, with some states seeing prices soar past N1,000 within just two weeks this September. These changes have sharply impacted the cost of living, especially transportation, leading to widespread hardship.

Workers across the country are now grappling with how to survive the relentless rise in commuting expenses. Many have chosen to quit their jobs or sleep at their workplaces to save on costs, unable to sustain the high daily fares that consume a large portion of their salaries.

Mr. Dotun Owoyemi, a Lagos Island employee, expressed his frustration: “I live on the mainland and used to spend N800 on transport daily. Now, it’s between N2,500 and N3,000. I earn a five-figure salary, but half of it goes to transport. I had no choice but to resign.” Owoyemi added that the N70,000 minimum wage, intended to provide relief, is not widely enforced in the private sector, further worsening the situation.

In Port Harcourt, Miss Sandra Douglas shared a similar experience, saying, “I resigned from my job because I spent N52,000 monthly on transport, almost half my salary. I couldn’t afford to feed myself.”

Midwives like Mrs. Dorcas Chukwuma have also been hit hard. She recently left her job at a private hospital in Marina, Lagos, due to the financial burden of commuting. “Four of us resigned. Living on the mainland and working on the Island is no longer feasible, with transport costs tripling. The government’s policies are pushing people deeper into poverty,” she lamented.

In some cases, employees like Mr. Tunde Ayeni, who works in Lekki, have resorted to sleeping at their offices to avoid the crippling transport fares. “I live in Abule Ado, and my daily fare went from N2,000 to N4,000. My salary is under N100,000, so I now sleep in the office during the week and go home only on weekends. The situation is unsustainable.”

As Nigeria faces continued economic challenges, the rising cost of transportation is just one of many obstacles making daily life increasingly difficult for workers across the country. Many fear that without urgent government intervention, the situation will only deteriorate further, leading to even more resignations and financial strain.