The ongoing conflict in Iran is reverberating across African economies, with Nigeria’s jet fuel prices surging by 300% and creating severe challenges for domestic airlines. The aviation minister has urged carriers to avoid raising airfares or suspending flights, but some airlines have already been forced to shut down operations.
A spokesperson reported that a 270% price increase since February has upended the industry. “When the supply goes down, the price goes up,” he explained, adding that higher diesel costs for road transport of aviation fuel add another 50% to transmission costs. Nigerian airlines temporarily suspended a planned nationwide shutdown after a government appeal, with further talks expected Wednesday. Fuel typically accounts for over a third of airline expenses, and the country consumes about 2.1 million liters of jet fuel daily.
Meanwhile, Kenya is warning of possible shortages and has appealed to the World Bank for emergency support. Renewable energy expert Tony Tiyou told the program that the crisis is “a warning sign for the rest of the continent,” showing how quickly geopolitical tension turns into local economic pain. He noted that only about 4% of Africa’s energy comes from solar, but demand is growing. While nuclear remains a long-term option for countries with the right capacity, he argued that “solar and storage are the tools that Africa can deploy right now at speed and scale.”