A former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has criticized the removal of fuel subsidy, saying the policy has failed to deliver the promised economic relief and has instead deepened poverty, hunger, inflation, and insecurity across the country.
President Bola Tinubu had announced the end of the fuel subsidy regime during his inauguration in May 2023, declaring that “subsidy is gone.” The President has repeatedly defended the decision, insisting it was necessary to avert economic collapse and that the funds saved have been distributed to states.
However, Dalung, speaking on Channel Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, argued that the manner in which the subsidy was removed showed a lack of adequate consultation and understanding of governance.
According to him, the decision was taken at a time when only the President and Vice President had been sworn in, without a full cabinet, advisers, or policymakers in place. He said such a far-reaching policy should have involved broad consultation within government structures.
Dalung said Nigerians accepted the policy with the hope that it would bring economic benefits, but maintained that more than a year later, the country has only witnessed worsening living conditions. He added that the expected gains from subsidy removal have not translated into improved welfare for citizens.
The former minister also accused the Tinubu administration of failing to properly account for the management of funds saved from subsidy removal, arguing that Nigerians should by now be enjoying a significantly better standard of living given the scale of revenue generated.
In addition, Dalung claimed that the borrowings of the current administration since 2023 have doubled what former President Muhammadu Buhari borrowed during his eight years in office, further raising concerns about the government’s economic direction.
