• Fuel discount a political stunt — Makinde campaign
From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Paulinus Aidoghe and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Federal Government has insisted that fuel subsidy removal remains in place, explaining that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) ₦66 petrol price reduction represents a sacrifice of part of the company’s profit to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs on Nigerians.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, alongside the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who maintained that the reduction would not affect revenue accruing to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
Their explanations came amid criticism by the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, which described the fuel discount as a political stunt and questioned its effectiveness in addressing rising prices and economic hardship.
In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communication, Richard Ihediwa, the campaign said what it described as “the panicky ₦60 discount” was “a mere political stunt.” It cited a reported increase in petrol prices from ₦1,370 to ₦1,410 per litre.
The campaign referred to a ₦60 discount, while the Federal Government put NNPCL’s reduction at ₦66.
Idris, however, explained that the company had decided to forgo part of its profit to provide relief for consumers, maintaining that the measure did not amount to a reversal of the subsidy removal policy.
“You look at issues and then, you come up with a mechanism to cushion the effect for the citizens. So, what the NNPCL has done is that they have looked at it and said ‘okay, we are making this much profit, why can’t we forgo some of the profits that we are making so that Nigerians can have some cushions?’ This is entirely within their own system,” he said.
Onanuga also rejected the description of the measure as a Federal Government discount.
“It is not a federal government discount. It is from NNPCL and that was not the first time they started it. They had earlier done a ₦66 price reduction and on the day it was extended, NNPCL assured the Finance Minister that they would continue with the discount because the ₦66 margin is what they can accommodate. It won’t affect the money that goes to the FAAC,” he said.
The minister acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians were facing, but maintained that President Bola Tinubu was determined to ensure that economic reforms produced improvements in living conditions.
“The president never pretended that things are okay. He has maintained that we are on a straight path to progress. He didn’t want to take the same path his predecessors had taken,” he said.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains firmly committed to the economic reforms that are strengthening our country, while ensuring that the welfare of Nigerians remains paramount. Our approach is to consolidate the gains of these reforms, expand affordable energy alternatives, strengthen domestic production and create the conditions for sustainable reductions in the cost of living.
“The president is fully conscious of the challenges Nigerians face, and his Administration remains determined to ensure that the benefits of economic recovery translate into greater affordability, improved purchasing power and better living conditions for our people.” Idris said rising energy costs were an international challenge, with governments adopting different measures to protect their economies and reduce the burden on citizens.
“Let me turn briefly to fuel prices, which I know are on everyone’s mind. Rising energy costs are a global challenge, and governments across the world are adopting different approaches to protect their economies and cushion the impact on citizens. Nigeria is equally mindful of the pressures that higher energy costs place on households, businesses and the wider economy,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria’s position as a crude oil producer did not insulate it from developments in the international energy market.
“Fuel pricing is not just a Nigerian matter. Fuel is an international commodity,” he said, adding that developments in the Middle East had contributed to price increases in several countries.
Idris also urged Nigerians and the media to hold all tiers of government accountable, saying states and local governments had responsibilities for services that directly affected daily life.
“Nigeria is a Federation of three tiers of government. Throughout his political career, president Tinubu has championed true federalism, and much of what he has done in the last three years has affirmed this.
“He has worked to strengthen States and Local Governments, financially and constitutionally, through bigger fiscal transfers, efforts to secure local government autonomy, proposals for State Police, and electricity reforms that empower States to invest in and regulate the sector.
“He has been equally clear that the subnationals must step up. Many of the services that touch daily life most directly, from urban transport and schools to primary healthcare and waste management, sit with the states and local governments,” he said.
Citing a recent World Bank report, the minister said states’ combined capital expenditure rose by 151 per cent in real terms between 2023 and 2025.
“Many states are rising to that responsibility. A recent World Bank report found that their combined capital expenditure rose by 151 per cent in real terms between 2023 and 2025, with significant increases in transport, education, healthcare and social investment. I encourage you to hold every tier of government to account for its own responsibilities,” he said.
Responding to questions about the 2026 United Nations Development Programme Global Multidimensional Poverty Index report, which put Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty rate at 38.7 per cent in 2024, up from 33 per cent in 2021, with an additional 17.9 million Nigerians slipping into poverty, Idris pointed to the World Bank’s assessment of the economy.
He maintained that the economy was growing, while acknowledging that the difficulties had not disappeared.
“Does that mean the challenges are now over? Of course, not! But, we are seeing that there is a changing movement from one point to another, steadily and gradually,” he said.
The minister argued that the administration inherited an economy resting on a weak foundation and had undertaken difficult reforms to stabilise it.
“So, what he did is to do the necessary excavation, the necessary surgical operation that is required for it to now be put on that sound pedestal. And we are seeing growth year after year,” he said.
He added that renewed business interest in Nigeria indicated growing confidence in the economy.
“What does that tell us? It means we are seeing a straight progression towards prosperity. I think it is important, whatever the World Bank report now says, it is important for all of us to see this light and to seize it and to associate with it so that ultimately, the prosperity that we all need as Nigerians, we will reach there,” he said.
On organised Labour’s demand for a minimum wage review, Idris said the administration would listen to workers and adjust when necessary.
“They are Nigerians and they are interested in the well-being of Nigerians. They should look at government policies in such a way that it won’t create problems in the country,” he said.
“The president has promised that wages can be reviewed in three years; not waiting for every five years before wages can be reviewed.
“This government will adjust when necessary because Labour is a critical part of this government. We listen to them and we believe they, ultimately, want the best for the country.”
Onanuga, in his remarks, urged journalists to exercise their responsibilities with the country’s interests in mind.
“Press freedom comes with responsibility. We have no other country except this country.
“As gatekeepers and editors, we need to think about the country first,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation maintained that the discount did not provide a lasting answer to the hardship facing Nigerians.
In the statement signed by Ihediwa, the organisation argued that the reported rise in petrol prices undermined the relief the administration claimed the measure would deliver.
“The Machiavellian attempt by the President Tinubu-led APC administration to cultivate the image of a benevolent government through a so-called fuel discount has backfired spectacularly.
“We are vindicated in our position that political narrative has its limits. The latest price surge has intensified concerns about the integrity of the pronouncements of the Tinubu administration.”
The campaign maintained that “no amount of propaganda can conceal” the consequences of government policies, arguing that official claims of progress had to be measured against Nigerians’ daily experiences.
It urged voters to support the Makinde/Daura Reset Nigeria Agenda, presenting the ticket as an alternative to the administration’s approach.
“Nigeria needs a complete Reset under a Makinde Presidency,” the statement said.
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