Nigerian President Bola Tinubu sparked outrage with a controversial statement in which he compared Nigeria’s fuel situation to that of Kenya, claiming that Nigerians should feel grateful because they are “better off” than Kenyans.
Tinubu acknowledged that the fuel situation “is biting hard” as he discussed the effects of the fuel crisis across Africa, but he insisted that Nigerians should “thank God” because their circumstances are not as severe as those in Kenya and other African nations.
He said this in Bayelsa State while inaugurating projects by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri in Yenagoa, the state capital. 
“Yes, I hear you from various angles of the economy. The fuel price is biting hard, but look around, let’s just thank God together that you are better off. Listen to them in Kenya, in other African countries, to what they are going through,” he said.
READ ALSO: 10 African Countries With The Cheapest Fuel Prices in March 2026
Many Kenyans and Nigerians quickly reacted to his remarks and dismissed them as outright mockery.
Critics were triggered by Tinubu’s comments in light of Kenya’s economic challenges, particularly as the country grapples with a looming fuel crisis linked to the Middle East conflict.
His remarks followed significant fuel-related challenges across several African countries, which triggered price increases in nations such as Tanzania.
While most Kenyans online chastised the Nigerian president for making what they described as an unfair comparison, Nigerians expressed concern about his lack of empathy toward Nigeria’s escalating fuel crisis.
The Kenya Pipeline Company further reassured the public that all its terminals and depots currently hold enough fuel to meet present and future national demands.
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