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Subsidies or Student Loans? Minister Poses Tough Questions to Critics

Published

24 minutes ago

August 24, 2026

Subsidies or Student Loans? Minister Poses Tough Questions to Critics

Information Minister Mohammed Idris cautions that restoring petrol subsidy would undermine fiscal progress, weaken investor confidence, and return Nigeria to the economic crisis of 2022, as the government highlights ₦6.47 trillion in infrastructure spending and over 10 million households reached with social transfers.

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has issued a firm warning against renewed calls to restore the petrol subsidy, declaring that such a move would reverse the economic gains recorded under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and plunge Nigeria back into the fiscal crisis that characterised the old subsidy regime. In an Op-Ed titled “Restoring Fuel Subsidy Will Reverse Nigeria’s Economic Gains,” published on Monday, August 24, 2026, in several national dailies, the minister outlined the fiscal benefits of subsidy removal, the economic risks averted, and the difficult trade-offs that would confront the country should petrol subsidy be reintroduced. According to a statement issued by his Media Aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, in Abuja, Idris argued that proponents of subsidy restoration must confront the real opportunity costs of such a decision, asking whether Nigerians are willing to sacrifice student loans, consumer credit, infrastructure funding, and social protection for the return of a policy that proved economically devastating.

“Restoring subsidy would almost instantly return Nigeria to the economic conditions of 2022, recreating the same fiscal pressures, distortions, scarcity and incentives for arbitrage that made the old system unsustainable,” Idris said. The minister recalled that in 2022, amid declining oil production and weak revenues, Nigeria spent about $10 billion on fuel subsidies, while the World Bank warned that the subsidy was consuming resources that could otherwise have supported education, healthcare, infrastructure and social protection. He noted that the legacy Ways and Means financing, which stood at about ₦30 trillion in May 2023 and has since been curtailed, would have doubled to ₦60 trillion or more without the reforms, while 27 states that were unable to reliably pay salaries would have seen their situations worsen considerably.

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Idris posed a series of pointed questions to those calling for subsidy restoration, challenging them to consider what would be sacrificed. “Do we restore petrol subsidy, or sustain student loans and consumer credit for young Nigerians? Do we restore subsidy, or preserve higher allocations to states and local governments? Do we restore subsidy, or continue funding roads, rail, power and security? Do we restore subsidy, or strengthen the fiscal capacity required to expand healthcare, education and social protection for vulnerable Nigerians?” he asked. The minister emphasised that these are not rhetorical questions but real policy choices that would confront the nation. He noted that the Organised Private Sector and the wider economic community have also cautioned against reversing the reform, recognising that Nigeria cannot build tomorrow’s economy by returning to yesterday’s unsustainable subsidy regime.

Citing the Federal Government’s recently presented “Nigeria’s Reform Scorecard: The Benefits, Costs and Harms Prevented,” Idris noted that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed that subsidy savings mobilised ₦15.8 trillion in resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025. He explained that approximately ₦5.43 trillion accrued to the Federal Government, ₦6.52 trillion to states, and ₦3.88 trillion to local governments—clarifying that the ₦15.8 trillion was not a separate pool of cash but resources released within the Federation’s wider fiscal system. The minister noted that the increased fiscal space has strengthened the capacity of states and local governments to meet salary and pension obligations while enabling major federal investments in infrastructure, security, agriculture, and human capital. According to Idris, the Reform Scorecard recorded approximately ₦6.47 trillion in additional expenditure on strategic infrastructure, including major national corridors such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, and the Trans-Sahara Superhighway.

Beyond infrastructure, the minister highlighted that more than ₦400 billion has been committed to major social investment initiatives, including the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) with ₦223.8 billion, the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) with ₦150 billion, and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) with ₦50 billion. He added that social transfers have reached more than 10 million Nigerian households, providing critical support to vulnerable families across the country. Idris also pointed to renewed investor confidence, noting that the Nigerian stock market is the world’s best-performing in 2026, external reserves are at their highest level in nearly 20 years, and oil production has exceeded its OPEC quota for the first time in years. These indicators, he said, reflect the positive trajectory of the economy under the current reform agenda.

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The minister further warned that Nigeria is already carrying a substantial electricity subsidy estimated at ₦3.14 trillion between June 2023 and December 2025. This subsidy helps bridge the gap between actual power production costs and the capped tariffs paid by most consumers. According to figures from the Ministry of Finance, electricity subsidy payments rose sharply from N177 billion in 2023 to N1.48 trillion in 2024—an increase of more than 740 percent—before declining marginally to N1.47 trillion in 2025. “Reintroducing a petrol consumption subsidy on top of this would deal a double blow to Nigeria’s fiscal position,” Idris warned, noting that the combined burden would severely constrain the government’s ability to invest in critical sectors and maintain fiscal stability.

The minister also detailed the economic harm that the reforms have helped Nigeria avert. Had the subsidy regime remained unaddressed, he said, petrol scarcity would have returned, pushing prices above ₦3,000 per litre on the black market. The legacy Ways and Means financing, which stood at about ₦30 trillion in May 2023 and has since been curtailed, would have doubled to ₦60 trillion or more. The Scorecard projects that, without the reforms, the inherited situation of 27 states unable to reliably pay salaries would undoubtedly have worsened. Idris noted that the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) recently backed the Federal Government’s economic reform programme, saying the measures have produced measurable improvements in Nigeria’s fiscal and macroeconomic position, though it urged a shift from economic stability to productivity, investment, and improved living standards.

The minister acknowledged that Nigerians are facing difficulties arising from the reforms but maintained that reversing course is not the solution. “We are not claiming that the reforms have solved all of Nigeria’s economic challenges; there is indeed still much work to be done to translate improved fiscal capacity into better services, jobs, infrastructure and living standards,” he said. He urged citizens to view the reforms in the context of the country’s long-term economic stability and the need to build a stronger, more productive economy. “Nigeria cannot build tomorrow’s economy by returning to yesterday’s unsustainable subsidy regime. We have moved beyond that model,” Idris concluded.

Subsidies or Student Loans? Minister Poses Tough Questions to Critics

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Lagos Pensioners Draw Battle Line with Government Over Pension Enhancement

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Lagos Pensioners Draw Battle Line with Government Over Pension Enhancement

Published

5 hours ago

August 24, 2026

Trends Admin

Lagos Pensioners Draw Battle Line with Government Over Pension Enhancement

Retirees demand payment of pension increase and wage award as LASPEC cites ongoing actuarial assessment

A major confrontation is looming between the Lagos State Government and retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), as pensioners have issued Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu an August 31 ultimatum to pay their long-awaited pension enhancement and wage award, or face what they described as the “mother of all protests” [citation:1].

The ultimatum was announced by the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme (NUPCPS), Lagos State Council, Comrade Michael Omisande, after a meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Sunkanmi Oyegbola, which was also attended by the Director-General of the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Babalola Obilana, and the Commission’s Executive Director, Finance, Muyiwa Oshin [citation:1].

According to Omisande, the union had in January 2026 submitted a template to the Lagos State Government for the implementation of the pension enhancement[citation:1]. Although LASPEC informed the union that approval had been granted to engage an actuary, he said no further action had been taken. “We have communicated a 19-day ultimatum to Mr. Governor to credit the accounts of pensioners on the pension increases/wage award, or face protest action tentatively fixed for August 31, 2026,” he stated [citation:1].

During the meeting, Obilana informed the pensioners that Governor Sanwo-Olu had summoned him and issued a directive on the matter but did not indicate when the payment would be implemented [citation:1]. Also present were leaders of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Defined Benefit Scheme (NUPDBS), Olufemi Olarewaju and Olukayode Bada, while the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Funmi Sessi, urged LASPEC to expedite action to avert an industrial confrontation [citation:1].

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Omisande disclosed that the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police had been notified of the planned protest to ensure adequate security for participants [citation:1]. The union had earlier written a formal letter to the Police Commissioner on August 18, 2026, requesting protection over a planned warning protest scheduled for Monday, August 24, 2026, which would hold simultaneously at strategic locations across all 20 Local Governments in Lagos State [citation:1].

The warning protest is scheduled to hold at strategic locations across all 20 Local Governments in Lagos State, including Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Ojo, Apapa, Agege, Oshodi, Somolu, Ikeja, Surulere, Mushin, Badagry, Epe, and others [citation:1]. The letter stated that “Senior Citizens are clamoring for the payment of 16years Pension Arrears” [citation:1]. The union directed the state government to ensure that the relevant pension accounts were credited through the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) by August 19, warning that failure to meet the deadline would result in a mass demonstration involving over 50,000 CPS pensioners [citation:1].

Reacting to the development, the Lagos State Government said it had not received funds from the Federal Government for the pension increase and was funding the additional liability for eligible state pensioners from its own resources [citation:1]. The government dismissed the claim that federal funds meant for pensioners were being held by the state in a bank to generate interest [citation:1]. According to the government, Lagos had already implemented the approved increase for eligible pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS)[citation:1]. For pensioners under the CPS, however, the process was still ongoing because the government was determining its full financial liability under the scheme. “Given the structure of the CPS and the need to determine the state’s full financial exposure accurately, an independent actuary has been engaged to assess the liability and provide the appropriate basis for implementation,” the government said [citation:1].

The government rejected the suggestion that it was deliberately delaying or withholding the benefit, assuring pensioners that “there is no deliberate delay or withholding of funds” and that the process was being undertaken to ensure accurate, transparent and sustainable implementation [citation:1]. The government appreciated the concerns of pensioners and urged them to be patient while the process was completed [citation:1].

Lagos Pensioners Draw Battle Line with Government Over Pension Enhancement

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Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office

Published

2 days ago

August 22, 2026

Trends Admin

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” which allegedly operated without presidential approval within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The President has ordered the immediate arrest of the agency’s promoter and the suspension of three top civil servants.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries and directed the arrest of the promoter of a newly uncovered fake government agency operating within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). The discovery was announced on Friday by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, during a briefing with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The illegal entity, identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, was found to have been allocated office space within the OSGF complex without presidential authorisation and in violation of existing regulations. The ICPC chairman explained that the discovery was made during the commission’s broader investigation into the earlier uncovered fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other procedural weaknesses in the public service.

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According to Aliyu, the fake agency was promoted by Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to have allegedly operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, and George Nwabueze. The investigation also uncovered the alleged involvement of suspected collaborators within the OSGF who may have facilitated the agency’s operations.

Following the ICPC’s briefing, President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah. The ICPC has engaged with officials of the OSGF to gather vital information regarding the unauthorised office, and the investigation remains active.

The latest discovery comes barely weeks after the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation. An interim ICPC report submitted to President Tinubu on August 6 had also identified two other fictitious bodies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership. With Friday’s announcement, the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office becomes the fourth fake agency uncovered by the anti-corruption commission in connection with the scandal since early April.

The ICPC chairman commended President Tinubu for directing a forensic audit of government processes and a wider policy audit of federal ministries, departments, and agencies, describing the move as a proactive step towards strengthening governance and closing loopholes that could facilitate abuse within the public service. The investigation is expected to focus not only on the individuals behind the purported agency but also on the institutional weaknesses that allowed an unauthorised entity to gain access to federal government premises.

Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office

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N3.14 Trillion Spent on Electricity Subsidy in 31 Months – FG

Published

2 days ago

August 22, 2026

Trends Admin

N3.14 Trillion Spent on Electricity Subsidy in 31 Months – FG

The Federal Government says the massive spending shielded consumers from the full impact of tariff hikes, but critics question the value amid persistent blackouts and plans to phase out subsidies by 2027.

The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has disclosed that it spent N3.14 trillion on electricity subsidies between June 2023 and December 2025, according to figures contained in its latest economic reform scorecard. The government said the intervention was designed to protect electricity consumers from the full effect of tariff increases as reforms in the power sector continued.

The electricity subsidy was among N30.64 trillion in additional spending pressures incurred by the Federal Government during the 31-month period. The figures were released by the Ministry of Finance following a presentation by Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

According to the ministry, electricity subsidy payments rose sharply from N177 billion in 2023 to N1.48 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of more than 740 per cent. By December 2025, the subsidy bill stood at N1.47 trillion, indicating a marginal 1.14 per cent decline compared with the previous year.

Other major spending pressures recorded during the period included N9.39 trillion for wage adjustments and minimum-wage increases, N9.37 trillion arising from the impact of exchange-rate movements on external debt servicing, and N6.47 trillion for strategic infrastructure projects.

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The government said it mobilised N20.4 trillion in additional resources to partly finance the increased expenditure. The funds comprised N5.43 trillion from the Federal Government’s share of estimated petrol subsidy savings, N3.12 trillion in additional revenues, and N11.85 trillion raised through incremental borrowing. Despite these resources, the government said there was still a funding shortfall of N10.24 trillion, which had to be accommodated within the existing revenue base.

Despite the substantial subsidy spending, electricity supply deteriorated during the same period. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Federal Government incurred an electricity tariff subsidy of N358.32 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone. The subsidy bill averaged more than N119 billion per month as the government maintained its freeze on end-user electricity tariffs at July 2024 rates.

NERC explained that because electricity tariffs remain below cost-reflective levels, the government continues to subsidise the difference between the actual cost of power generation and the approved tariffs charged to consumers. Under the current Distribution Companies’ Remittance Obligation (DRO) framework, electricity generation companies invoiced the 11 DisCos a total of N689.72 billion during the quarter. However, only N331.40 billion was billed to the DisCos, leaving the government to cover the remaining N358.32 billion. The subsidy accounted for 51.95 per cent of the total generation invoice during the period.

The commission clarified that the lower subsidy payment in Q1 2026 did not result from the introduction of cost-reflective tariffs but rather from a decline in electricity purchased by the distribution companies during the quarter. According to the report, average available generation capacity fell by 17.45 per cent, dropping from 5,400.38MW in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 4,457.96MW in the first quarter of 2026. Total electricity generation also declined by 9.64 per cent to 8,883.47GWh.

The subsidy disclosure has drawn criticism from organised private sector groups. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) questioned the impact of the N15.8 trillion in petrol subsidy savings and criticised the N3.14 trillion electricity subsidy, saying it appeared to contradict the logic behind electricity tariff reforms and highlighted the high power costs that continue to burden businesses.

NERC has warned that the current subsidy regime leaves the Federal Government exposed to uncertain and potentially rising financial obligations. “The open-ended nature of the subsidy exposes the FGN to indeterminate subsidy obligations due to volumetric risk and changes in generation costs arising from changes in the generation mix, particularly with an increase in thermal generation,” the commission stated.

The disclosure comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s plan to gradually withdraw electricity subsidies from 2027. In July, Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power, said the government had no immediate plan to increase electricity tariffs, explaining that subsidy payments would be gradually phased out from next year while ensuring that Nigerians continued to benefit from existing arrangements. “I promise you, next year, by God’s grace, we will put a stop to this so-called subsidy in the power sector,” Tegbe said.

The government has also proposed establishing a Power Consumer Assistance Fund (PCAF) , established under the Electricity Act 2023, as the preferred mechanism for delivering targeted subsidies directly to vulnerable electricity users. The initiative is designed to channel financial support through consumers’ electricity accounts or other verified identity-linked platforms, improving transparency in subsidy administration while boosting investor confidence in the sector.

However, analysts note that ending the subsidy without imposing another sharp tariff increase will require widespread metering, lower transmission and distribution losses, improved collections, reliable supply, and targeted protection for poorer households. The government is also working to clear debts owed to power generation companies, with GenCos reportedly owed about N6.5 trillion and receiving only about 35 per cent of their monthly invoices.

In April 2024, NERC raised electricity tariffs for Band A customers from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour. The affected consumers were expected to receive at least 20 hours of electricity daily, while the adjustment was projected to reduce the government’s subsidy burden by about N1.14 trillion in 2024. Despite this adjustment, the subsidy bill for 2024 and 2025 combined still reached nearly N3 trillion.