Segun Atanda/
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has stirred reactions online after videos emerged showing him riding a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The footage, which circulated widely on social media this week, reportedly showed the literary icon leaving an event in the Ake area of Abeokuta before boarding the motorcycle to continue his journey.
Reports accompanying the video claimed Soyinka remarked that he could no longer afford to fuel his two cars at about N1,500 per litre.
While there has been no official statement from Soyinka confirming the remarks, the incident quickly triggered nationwide debate over the rising cost of living and persistent fuel price pressures facing Nigerians.
Some eyewitness accounts and social media posts suggested the playwright opted for the motorcycle because of the high of petrol.
The development comes amid continuing public frustration over fuel prices following the removal of petrol subsidy and the deregulation of Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
Although official pump prices vary across states and filling stations, prices in some areas have at different times climbed towards N1,500 per litre, according to reports by marketers and consumers.
The viral video also reignited political conversations because Soyinka had previously defended the need to allow time for President Bola Tinubu’s reforms to take shape before offering a full assessment of the administration.
Online reactions were sharply divided. While some Nigerians described the incident as symbolic of the economic hardship affecting citizens across social classes, others argued there was nothing unusual about using commercial motorcycles in traffic-prone cities such as Abeokuta and Lagos.
Soyinka, one of Africa’s most celebrated intellectuals, has long remained an influential voice in Nigeria’s political and social discourse, frequently commenting on governance, democracy and public welfare.
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