‘You Can’t Compare UK Fuel Prices With Nigeria’ — Journalist Challenges Gov Okpebholo

The recent comparison of petrol prices in the United Kingdom and Nigeria by Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has continued to generate reactions, with journalist and human-rights advocate Amb. Emmalex David Atseyinku questioning the relevance of using UK pump prices to assess the economic realities confronting Nigerians.

Governor Okpebholo had, while speaking on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo State, said he recently visited London and deliberately checked the price of petrol at a filling station.

According to the governor, after converting the British price to naira, a litre of petrol cost about ₦3,000-something. compared with the significantly lower pump prices Nigerians currently pay.

“When we complained about the cost of petrol, I was in London last week. I told my friend, let’s go and buy fuel just to know the cost of fuel between Nigeria and England. Let me tell you, after conversion, it’s about ₦3,000-something for one litre of fuel,” Okpebholo said.

He subsequently argued that Nigerians were “doing very well” and defended the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

However, Atseyinku said the comparison does not, by itself, provide a meaningful picture of fuel affordability because the economic circumstances of motorists in both countries are substantially different.

He argued that the price of a litre of petrol cannot reasonably be assessed in isolation from income levels, purchasing power, transportation costs, taxation, public services and other living expenses.

“Governor Okpebholo may be correct that petrol costs more per litre in the UK when converted into naira, but that is not enough to conclude that Nigerians are therefore enjoying cheaper fuel or a better economic situation,” Atseyinku said.

Current reports put Nigerian petrol prices at roughly ₦1,400 per litre in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja, with some locations recording prices around ₦1,500. Meanwhile, UK fuel-price data show substantially higher nominal prices per litre.

But the journalist maintained that comparing only the pump prices misses the larger economic picture

“People don’t buy fuel with exchange-rate calculations; they buy it with their income. What matters to an ordinary Nigerian is how much of his or her earnings goes into transportation, food, rent, electricity, healthcare and other necessities after buying fuel,” he said.

Atseyinku further argued that Nigeria and the UK operate under different economic structures and social conditions, stressing that a straightforward naira conversion of petrol prices does not adequately measure the standard of living or purchasing power of citizens in either country.

He said the appropriate question should therefore be whether the average Nigerian can comfortably afford petrol relative to his or her income, rather than whether the converted price is lower than that of a litre of petrol in London.

The journalist also questioned the message being sent to Nigerians struggling with rising living costs when they are told that they are “enjoying” it because petrol is nominally cheaper than in another country.

“People are complaining because transportation costs affect virtually every aspect of daily life. When fuel prices rise, the impact goes beyond motorists. It affects transport fares, food distribution, businesses, farmers and household expenses,” Atseyinku stated.

He added that the Federal Government’s economic reforms should be judged not only by nominal prices but also by their impact on household purchasing power and the broader cost of living.

The governor, meanwhile, has maintained that the current economic reforms are difficult but necessary and would eventually produce results. He compared the process to an aircraft taking off, arguing that Nigerians would begin to experience greater benefits once the economy reaches what he described as “cruising level.”

Atseyinku said Nigerians would ultimately judge the reforms by their tangible impact on their daily lives.

“Leadership is about understanding the realities of the people. A governor should listen to the complaints of citizens and explain government policies without dismissing their economic struggles,” he said.

He nevertheless acknowledged that the governor’s reported UK petrol-price figure broadly corresponds with current UK pump prices after currency conversion. The issue, he stressed, is not whether petrol is more expensive per litre in Britain, but whether that single comparison is sufficient to measure economic wellbeing in Nigeria.

The controversy has therefore shifted the conversation from the simple question of “Where is petrol cheaper?” to the broader issue of “Where can the average worker more easily afford the cost of living relative to income?”

For Atseyinku, the latter question provides a more meaningful basis for discussing fuel affordability and living standards than a direct comparison of pump prices between two fundamentally different economies.