Ilorin, Nigeria — All day, Alhaji Sule drove around the streets of Ilorin, in Nigeria’s central region, but hardly got more than three passengers on each trip, leaving two empty seats in his taxi.
This has been the 55-year-old’s daily ordeal since the federal government announced fuel subsidy cuts on May 29, forcing a price jump from 198 Nigerian naira ($0.26) to 617 naira per liter. Although Sule has doubled his base fare of 100 naira, it is hardly enough to earn him a decent take-home.
“It is as if people have decided to trek instead of boarding taxis and I lose a lot of money that way. It hasn’t always been easy but this current situation is unbearable,” he explained to Devex. “Today, for example, I bought 4000 naira fuel and I have only made 7000 naira.”
About the author
Pelumi Salako
Pelumi Salako is a Nigerian journalist covering culture, technology, inclusive economies, and development. His works have appeared in Al Jazeera, The Guardian, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, NPR, Foreign Policy, and elsewhere. He holds a B.A. in History and International Studies from the University of Ilorin.