Residents of communities across the Federal Capital Territory have expressed concern over worsening economic hardship following recent increases in petrol prices.

The residents, who spoke in Dei-Dei, Kubwa and Dutse, said higher fuel costs had resulted in increased transport fares, food prices and the cost of other essential goods and services.

Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria showed that petrol was selling for between ₦1,450 and ₦1,500 per litre at many filling stations in Abuja, compared with about ₦1,200 to ₦1,280 before the latest increases.

A commercial driver in Dei-Dei, Sunny Peter, said rising petrol prices had forced drivers to increase fares because fuel now accounted for a larger share of their operating costs.

He said the fare from Dei-Dei to Berger had risen from between ₦900 and ₦1,000 to about ₦1,200–₦1,500, depending on traffic and demand.

Peter added that commuters travelling from Kubwa to Wuse now paid between ₦1,000 and ₦1,200, compared with ₦700 to ₦800 previously.

A civil servant in Kubwa, Adaeze Okoli, said the rising transport costs had made commuting increasingly difficult, with a significant portion of her salary now spent on transportation.

Another resident, Abdullahi Sani, said his salary had remained unchanged while the cost of commuting had continued to increase, leaving many families with less money for basic needs.

In Dutse, Esther Okeke, a mother of six, said the increases had affected food, school expenses, transportation and electricity costs, making it more difficult to manage her family’s budget.

She appealed for measures to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on transport operators and commuters.

Another resident, Muhammed Lawal, called for improved public transportation and measures to stabilise fuel prices, while some respondents urged the authorities to introduce affordable mass-transit buses on major routes across the FCT.

The Federal Government inaugurated 100 Renewed Hope Mass Transit electric buses for civil servants in August, with 37 delivered as the first instalment. The buses are intended to provide safer and more affordable transportation for federal civil servants.

Residents expressed hope that the wider deployment of affordable public transport would help reduce commuting costs and, in turn, ease pressure on food and other essential commodities.