Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for Nigeria to become more affordable, saying families across the country are being stretched by the rising cost of basic necessities.

Atiku made the call on Wednesday after receiving former First Lady Aisha Buhari, whose visit he described as warm and deeply appreciated.

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According to Atiku, the visit was also a reminder of the urgent responsibility before those seeking a better Nigeria: to put the welfare, dignity and future of Nigerians first.

“Across our country, families are being stretched by the rising cost of food, transport, education, healthcare and other basic necessities,” Atiku said.

He said Nigerians deserve an economy that rewards hard work, restores opportunity and allows every family to live with dignity and hope.

“That is the Nigeria we must build together, a country that works for its people again,” he said.

Atiku added “We must ease the burden, restore hope and Make Nigeria Affordable Again.”

Former Anambra State Governor and NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said Nigerian youths should not have to leave the country before their talents are recognised or their dreams become achievable.

Obi stated this in a statement released on Wednesday as he concluded a four-day working visit to the United States.

According to him, the visit provided an opportunity to engage with prominent personalities and discuss issues concerning Nigeria, the United States and the future of Nigeria’s youthful population.

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Obi said one of the most fulfilling parts of the visit was meeting young Nigerian professionals in the US, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, technology professionals, entrepreneurs, educators and business leaders.

He said many of them were excelling in their respective fields while remaining committed to the development of Nigeria.

“My message to them was simple: you are not outsiders to Nigeria’s future; you are an important part of it,” Obi said.

He described the knowledge, experience and innovation of Nigerians in the diaspora as “enormous national assets,” stressing the need to build a country that welcomes their contributions and provides every Nigerian with a meaningful opportunity to participate in national development.

Obi said his vision of a “New Nigeria” was one where “the son or daughter of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,” adding that a person’s background should not determine their destination.

He also called for Nigeria to move from consumption to production, while investing in education, healthcare and human capital, supporting businesses, creating productive jobs and building an economy that gives young Nigerians reasons to believe in their future at home.

“Our young people should not have to leave Nigeria before their talents are recognised or their dreams become possible,” he said.

Obi also disclosed that he engaged with diaspora media, including NoireTV Network and Adeola Talks, during the visit, where he shared his views on building a more productive, secure and prosperous Nigeria.

Describing the visit as fulfilling, Obi said the work of building the country must continue.
“Our challenges are great, but our potential is greater. We have the people, the talent, and the resources to build a country where opportunity is not determined by who you know or where you come from, but by what you can contribute,” he said.

“That is the Nigeria we must build together — a Nigeria that works for everyone.
“A New Nigeria is POssible.”

The recent upward swing in the pump prices of refined petroleum products in Nigeria, has compelled the organised labour to demand for urgent palliatives, including wage awards, improved crude supplies to refineries and payment for the same in naira.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in a statement on Wednesday, under the signature of its President, Joe Ajaero, pointed out that petrol now sells for about ₦1,430 per litre in major cities, with prices reportedly higher in less accessible locations.

It therefore urged the Federal Government to urgently introduce measures to cushion the impact, including the payment of reasonable wage awards to workers and the sale of crude oil to local refineries in naira.

The labour centre warned that the rising cost of petrol would further worsen the economic hardship facing Nigerians, noting that increases in transportation costs typically trigger higher prices of food, rent, school fees and other essential goods and services.

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The statement, titled “Save the Situation Now,” said the latest increase came at a time when government pressure on oil marketers to reduce pump prices in response to lower international crude prices was beginning to produce results.

According to the NLC, the latest surge has been linked to the resurgence of conflict in the Gulf, but Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country means it should be able to provide some protection against international oil market shocks.

It said, “As a nation, and as a people endowed with enormous fossil resources, we are deserving of a certain level of protection or buffer against the gales from the Gulf, and indeed, other gales.”

The NLC urged the Federal Government to immediately introduce measures to shield households and businesses from the impact of the higher fuel prices.

It specifically called for reasonable wage awards for workers, sufficient crude oil sales in naira to local refineries and an expansion of the country’s national petroleum storage capacity to strengthen energy security and prepare for emergencies.

The labour union said the measures would not only ease the burden on Nigerians but also create jobs, generate economic value and help address emerging security challenges.

It also argued that government intervention, including subsidies, should not be ruled out in an emergency.

“There is nothing wrong with the government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergency situations like this,” Ajaero said, adding that oil-producing countries were introducing different forms of intervention or palliatives to protect their citizens from the effects of the current global energy crisis.

The NLC further said the Federal Government had benefited from higher international crude prices, claiming that crude was currently selling about $35 to $40 per barrel above the benchmark used in the national budget.

It argued that the additional revenue should be regarded as a windfall that could provide fiscal space for interventions aimed at protecting citizens from the rising cost of living.

The union also raised concerns over the reported importation of crude by some local refineries, describing the development as contrary to the objective of developing domestic refining capacity.

“On a long-term basis, we are equally concerned that local refineries are importing crude. This is unreasonable and unacceptable and defeats the logic and purpose of local capacity,” the statement said.

The latest petrol price increase comes amid Nigeria’s broader transition to a deregulated downstream petroleum sector following the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023.

The policy has exposed domestic fuel prices more directly to changes in crude oil prices, foreign exchange costs, logistics and other market factors. The government and oil-sector regulators have subsequently introduced measures aimed at increasing domestic refining and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

The commissioning and ramp-up of large-scale private refining capacity, alongside the rehabilitation of government-owned refineries, have also been central to the Federal Government’s strategy for improving domestic fuel supply and reducing exposure to international market volatility.

However, fluctuations in crude prices, exchange rates and supply-chain costs continue to influence pump prices and transportation expenses, with implications for household purchasing power and inflation.

The NLC said the government needed to act quickly rather than allow the burden to fall entirely on workers and other citizens.

Ajaero said the Federal Government, which he noted was seeking re-election in the coming months, “cannot afford to stand and watch marketers inflict suffering on the citizenry in the name of deregulation.”

“Labour has an obligation to speak out or act accordingly,” he added.