The Real Cost of Surviving Nigeria: From ATM Charges to Generator Fuel

We often hear people say, “Nigerians are strong.” But strength should not be a survival requirement. In this country, just staying alive has become a full-time job.

Poverty in Nigeria is not about laziness, it’s about the high cost of staying alive.

Williams O. Omodunefe

And while the elite worry about investment portfolios and exchange rates, the average Nigerian is calculating how much life costs by the hour.

This is not just about unemployment or inflation.
This is about how much it now costs to survive Nigeria on a day-to-day basis.
Let’s break it down, not in theory, but in real, painful detail.

💳 1. ATM and POS Charges - Death by a Thousand Cuts

• Withdrawal at an ATM: ₦35 after the third use

• POS charges: ₦100–₦400 depending on amount

• Transfer fees: ₦10–₦50 per transaction

• SMS alerts: ₦4+ per alert, daily

You might think it’s “just ₦50,” but when someone withdraws money 3–4 times a week, they lose nearly ₦1,000 monthly, just to access their own money.

That’s a day’s transport. That’s garri for three days. That’s food for a child.

🔌 2. Generator Fuel: The Most Expensive Tax on the Poor

PHCN is unreliable. Yet, life must go on.

• A small business owner spends ₦1,500–₦3,000 daily on fuel

• A single household with a small generator? At least ₦700–₦1,200 a day

• Inverters are expensive. Solar panels are out of reach.

This means a large percentage of earnings go right back into power, not because of growth, but because of survival.

Light in Nigeria is not a utility. It is a privilege.

🚍 3. Transportation Is Now a Monthly Salary

The average Nigerian spends:

• ₦500–₦1,500 daily on transport

• That’s ₦15,000–₦45,000 a month

Yet, minimum wage is ₦30,000. Even for the employed, transport swallows up everything, leaving food, savings, and rent to suffer.

And for the unemployed or those in informal jobs, transportation becomes a punishment. They walk long distances. Or they simply stay home.

🍲 4. Food: Cooking at Home Isn’t Even Cheap Anymore

Many believe “just cook at home” is the cheaper option. But even cooking is now a burden.

• A bag of rice: ₦70,000+

• One tuber of yam: ₦2,000

• A crate of eggs: ₦3,800–₦4,500

• Small tomatoes, onions, oil, and pepper: Easily ₦5,000 for just two meals

For many families, ₦10,000 now lasts 2–3 days, not a week.

🏠 5. Rent Is Silent Pressure That Never Sleeps

In cities like Abuja or Lagos:

• A self-contained apartment: ₦350,000–₦600,000 yearly

• One-room in a decent location: ₦200,000–₦300,000

• Rent must be paid in full, often yearly, no instalments

Landlords don’t care about inflation. And so the poor remain trapped, moving from place to place, crowding into spaces that were never meant for humans.

🧴 6. Sanitary Products, Toiletries, Essentials

• Sanitary pads: ₦600–₦1,500 per pack

• Soap, detergent, toothpaste, tissue, and deodorant: Easily ₦6,000+ monthly

• Baby diapers: ₦8,000–₦15,000 monthly

Many women and families now cut back on hygiene just to survive.
That’s not dignity. That’s desperation.

🧠 7. School Fees, Books, & Uniforms

• Public school is free, but unregulated, overcrowded, and often neglected

• Private schools cost ₦20,000–₦100,000+ termly, even in low-income areas

• Uniforms, PTA fees, books, transport, add ₦10,000–₦30,000 to that

• Tertiary education? Now nearly out of reach

This means education is now optional for many, even though it’s the only possible escape.

💬 Final Thought: Survival Shouldn’t Be a Privilege

When a country becomes too expensive for its people to live in, it is not developing, it is breaking down.
No nation can thrive when its citizens spend all their energy just trying to survive.

“Every time I calculate my daily expenses, I feel like I’m drowning in small, invisible debts.”
- Mechanic, Gwagwalada

The real cost of Nigeria is not in billion-dollar budgets.
It’s in the ₦200 difference at the market.
The ₦300 POS charge that took away dinner.
The ₦1,000 fuel that forced a family to sleep in darkness.

We must start measuring economic growth not just by GDP, but by how much it actually costs to survive a week in Nigeria.