By Editor Drealomalicha Emmanuella
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assuring that ongoing economic reforms are beginning to deliver tangible improvements, particularly in the petroleum sector.
Speaking against the backdrop of recent developments, Akpabio reflected on the country’s not-too-distant past, when fuel scarcity brought daily life to a standstill and subjected millions to severe hardship. He recalled scenes of motorists queuing for hours—sometimes stretching several kilometres—in desperate attempts to purchase petrol.
“Since we came on board, we have not witnessed queues of three to five kilometres at filling stations,” he said, underscoring what he described as a significant shift. “There was a time Nigerians were willing to pay as much as ₦10,000 per litre, yet the product remained unavailable.”
According to him, the situation has improved considerably, with petrol now largely accessible nationwide and long queues at filling stations becoming increasingly rare. He attributed this progress to reforms in the downstream petroleum sector, as well as growing participation from private investors.
Akpabio further noted that these reforms have helped to strengthen local refining capacity, reduce reliance on fuel imports, and enhance overall supply stability. He added that Nigeria is gradually moving towards producing a greater share of its domestic fuel needs, with some output now being exported.
While acknowledging the continued strain of inflation and the rising cost of living on households, the Senate President maintained that the reforms are essential for securing long-term economic stability and growth.
He urged Nigerians to adopt a broader, long-term perspective, expressing confidence that the full benefits of the government’s policies would become more evident in due course.
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