Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has compared petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, saying Nigerians buying fuel at around ₦1,400 per litre are paying less than motorists in Britain.
Okpebholo made the comparison on Thursday, September 24, 2026, while speaking at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo State.
The governor said he travelled to London the previous week and went to a filling station with a friend to compare fuel prices.
“Let me tell you, after conversion, it’s about N3,000-something for one litre of fuel,” Okpebholo said.
He used the comparison to defend the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying Nigerians should recognise the changes taking place in the economy.
Okpebholo Says Nigerians Are Paying Less
Okpebholo argued that the price difference between Nigeria and the UK showed that Nigerian motorists were not paying as much for petrol as their British counterparts.
“We are doing very well here. The President is stabilising the economy. He’s an economist,” he said.
His comments come as petrol prices remain a major issue for Nigerian households and businesses, particularly following the removal of the petrol subsidy and subsequent changes in pump prices.
Recent reports put petrol prices around ₦1,400 per litre in major Nigerian cities, although actual prices vary by location and filling station. Reuters reported petrol at approximately ₦1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja earlier this week.
What Is Petrol Selling for in the UK?
The latest UK government statistics provide a useful comparison.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s weekly road-fuel data put the national average retail price of unleaded petrol at 172.01 pence per litre for the week beginning September 21, 2026.
That is £1.7201 per litre.
Converted into naira, the amount can exceed ₦3,000 depending on the prevailing pound-to-naira exchange rate.
However, the figure should be understood as a national UK average, not a uniform price charged at every filling station.
The UK’s official dataset specifically describes the figure as a weekly average of unleaded petrol prices.
Nigeria’s Petrol Price Also Varies
The Nigerian comparison also requires some qualification.
NNPC Limited’s latest published pump prices on September 24 showed different prices across locations. Lagos was listed at ₦1,385 per litre, while Abuja was listed at ₦1,430. Yobe was among the higher-priced locations at ₦1,456 per litre.
This means there is no single pump price that applies to every Nigerian motorist.
The same applies in the UK, where retail prices can differ between regions, retailers and individual filling stations.
Consequently, comparing ₦1,400 in Nigeria with more than ₦3,000 in the UK is essentially a comparison between representative Nigerian prices and a currency-converted UK price.
Okpebholo Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
Beyond petrol prices, Okpebholo used his speech to defend the broader economic reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
He described the reforms as difficult but argued that Nigerians would eventually see their benefits.
The governor compared the process to an aircraft taking off, saying passengers do not receive certain services until the plane reaches cruising altitude.
“I want to let you know, very soon Nigeria will be on the cruising level. Nigeria will be on a cruising level,” he said.
His remarks came as Nigerians continue to deal with elevated transport, food and household costs alongside changes in fuel prices.
Petrol Prices Remain a Major Economic Issue
Fuel remains particularly important to Nigeria’s economy because changes in petrol prices affect transportation costs and can feed into the prices of goods and services.
Recent increases have renewed concerns about the cost of living. Reuters reported this week that petrol had reached roughly ₦1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja, with prices reaching about ₦1,500 in parts of northern Nigeria.
At the same time, Dangote Refinery’s lower ex-gantry price led NNPC to publish revised pump prices on September 24, with Lagos listed at ₦1,385 per litre.
The changing prices illustrate why comparisons between Nigerian and foreign petrol prices need to account for both exchange rates and local market conditions.
What the Comparison Does — and Does Not — Show
The UK comparison establishes that petrol is considerably more expensive in nominal naira terms when the current UK price is converted into the Nigerian currency.
It does not, by itself, show that motorists in either country face a lower economic burden.
Fuel affordability also depends on factors such as income, wages, taxation, transportation patterns and the wider cost of living.
Okpebholo’s argument was specifically about the pump price of petrol, rather than a comparison of household purchasing power between Nigeria and the UK.
What Happens Next?
Petrol prices are likely to remain a major economic and political issue in Nigeria as the government continues its reform programme and global crude oil prices influence domestic fuel costs.
For Nigerian motorists, the immediate issue remains how changes in petrol prices affect transportation and oth
