From Kerosene Stoves to GSM Phones: Comparing Pre-1999 Nigeria with Today’s Struggles

Life in Nigeria before 1999 was tough for the middle class. Ordinary families cooked with kerosene, while gas cookers were reserved for the wealthy. Air travel, televisions and home phone lines were rare. Internet access was practically science fiction. The return to democracy brought change. GSM networks arrived and mobile phones became affordable. Tokunbo cars flooded the market. Cooking gas, TV ownership and domestic flights opened up for ordinary Nigerians. Today, many of those gains are slipping away. Gas is costly again. Flight tickets are out of reach. Pay-TV subscriptions and eggs feel like luxuries. Real policy success is measured by what people can afford in their homes, not by speeches. Tinubu, let the poor breathe!

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