The Federal Government has ruled out any return to the fuel subsidy regime, saying the removal of the policy remains a key part of its economic reforms.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, stated this at the 66th Independence Day lecture in Abuja, where he defended the economic measures introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Akume said the government had taken difficult decisions, including the removal of petrol subsidy, foreign exchange reforms and changes to the fiscal system, to address longstanding weaknesses in the Nigerian economy.

He said the government would not return to what he described as the “ruinous petroleum subsidy regime of the past”.

The SGF argued that the reforms were beginning to produce measurable results, citing economic growth recorded in 2026.

He said Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, compared with 3.9 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year, while other indicators were also showing improvement.

Akume, however, acknowledged that economic growth must translate into better living conditions, higher incomes and more employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The government has increasingly promoted Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative to petrol following the removal of subsidy.

Akume said more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG, with more than 400 conversion centres and about 90 CNG fuelling stations established across the country.

He said the expansion of CNG was helping to reduce transportation costs and provide Nigerians with cheaper alternatives to petrol-powered transport.

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The government also highlighted investments in infrastructure, agriculture, electricity, healthcare and education as part of its strategy to cushion the effects of economic reforms and strengthen long-term growth.

Akume cited projects including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Abuja-Kano Highway and East-West Road, alongside railway and port development.

On agriculture, he disclosed that the World Bank had approved a $500 million credit facility for the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth project.

The initiative is expected to support smallholder farmers, strengthen agricultural value chains and improve food and nutrition security.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also defended the government’s economic direction at the lecture, saying the economy recorded 4.43 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2026.

Idris acknowledged the difficulties caused by the reforms but said the government was working to address structural problems that had affected the economy for years.

The debate over petrol subsidy removal has remained a major political and economic issue ahead of the 2027 general election.

Opposition politicians have proposed different approaches to the subsidy policy. Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has advocated a form of subsidy intervention, while Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has also spoken about restoring subsidy under certain conditions.

The Tinubu administration, however, has maintained that the subsidy regime will not be restored.

President Tinubu, in his October 1 Independence Day address, defended the reforms and said the government’s priority was to reduce the cost of living by lowering production and transportation costs and expanding investment in agriculture, infrastructure and other productive sectors.

The Federal Government’s latest position therefore reinforces its commitment to keeping the petrol subsidy removal in place while pursuing alternatives such as CNG, domestic refining, increased energy production and broader economic reforms.

Independence Day: No Going Back on Fuel Subsidy Removal – FG

Court remands alleged ‘fake PFIPC DG’ Adeyemi in Kuje over forgery

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who allegedly presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged forgery.

Justice Muhammed Umar reportedly made the order on Wednesday after Adeyemi was arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery.

Adeyemi pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court also fixed October 12, 2026, for the hearing of his bail application and directed that the case be given accelerated hearing.

One of the allegations against Adeyemi relates to the alleged forgery of presidential letterhead paper on March 8, 2024.

He was also accused of allegedly forging a request for collaboration with the Ministry of the Area Councils, as well as documents requesting land allocation and office accommodation across the 36 states of the federation.

The documents were allegedly presented as having emanated from the State House in Abuja.

The case is connected to the controversy surrounding the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, an organisation the Federal Government has said was never established as a government agency.

The Presidency had earlier disowned the organisation and warned members of the public and foreign missions against dealing with Adeyemi on the basis of his alleged claim to have been appointed by the Presidency.

The government subsequently said investigations had established that the purported agency was fictitious and alleged that Adeyemi used forged appointment letters and other government documents to present himself as a presidential appointee.

The authorities further alleged that documents associated with the purported organisation were used to seek official recognition and diplomatic assistance.

The controversy also attracted the attention of the House of Representatives, which investigated the activities of the organisation and the circumstances surrounding Adeyemi’s alleged appointment.

During the investigation, lawmakers were told that the appointment letter allegedly presented by Adeyemi had been confirmed to be fake by relevant government authorities.

The case has also raised questions over how the purported organisation was able to operate and obtain correspondence with some government institutions before the Presidency publicly disowned it.

Adeyemi, however, has denied the allegations against him and previously made counter-allegations concerning the circumstances surrounding his purported appointment. He has also questioned references to the PFIPC in government documents.

Those claims remain part of the wider controversy and have yet to be determined by the court.

With the latest order, Adeyemi will remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.

His bail application is expected to come up on October 12, 2026.

The allegations against him remain unproven until determined by the court.

Court remands alleged ‘fake PFIPC DG’ Adeyemi in Kuje over forgery

FG Opens Nationwide Youth Registration, Targets Nigerians Aged 15–35

The Federal Government has commenced nationwide registration of Nigerians aged 15 to 35 under the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB), a new initiative designed to build a reliable database of young people and support access to jobs, skills training, internships, entrepreneurship and other opportunities.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the commencement of the exercise as the government launched the National Youth Data Bank, saying accurate youth data would help improve the planning, targeting and delivery of government programmes.

The NYDB is designed to capture information on young Nigerians, including their education, skills, employment, entrepreneurship and other demographic characteristics. The official platform says the database is intended to provide a centralised and continuously updated picture of Nigeria’s youth population.

The government said the initiative is not an electoral registration exercise but a youth development programme aimed at improving how government identifies young people and connects them with relevant opportunities.

The registration covers young Nigerians in different sectors and settings, including those in schools, the informal sector, agriculture, sports, creative industries and technology.

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A key part of the exercise is the establishment of approved NYDB registration centres or cluster points. According to the official NYDB platform, young Nigerians can register at approved locations within their state, Local Government Area (LGA), school or other specially designated locations.

This means that not every school, LGA office or public facility is automatically a registration centre. Applicants are expected to use approved NYDB cluster points, where trained registration personnel will guide them through the process.

The exercise is being extended across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with the programme designed to reach young people in rural and underserved communities as well as those in urban areas.

The registration process begins with a visit to an approved NYDB cluster point, followed by an eligibility check and the creation of a youth profile. Participants are then required to confirm the information provided before completing the registration.

The 15 to 35 age bracket is the target population for the data-bank exercise. The database is expected to be updated continuously to maintain current information on eligible young Nigerians.

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development says the information gathered will help government understand where young people are located, what qualifications and skills they have, whether they are employed or seeking opportunities, and what forms of support may be required.

The NYDB platform identifies education, skills, employment, entrepreneurship, civic participation and health among the key areas of information being developed to strengthen youth-focused planning and interventions.

The initiative is also expected to improve the ability of government and authorised partners to identify young people who may be missing from existing datasets, particularly those in rural communities and underserved groups.

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has separately announced plans for a National Youth Confab 2026, scheduled to begin in October, with participation expected from young Nigerians across the country’s 360 federal constituencies.

For Nigerians within the 15–35 age bracket, the government is therefore encouraging participation through the approved NYDB registration centres as the nationwide exercise expands.

FG Opens Nationwide Youth Registration, Targets Nigerians Aged 15–35