NANS rejects Atiku’s plan to restore fuel subsidy
August 26, 2026 9:29 pm
NANS President, Babatunde Akinteye. Photo: NANS
The National Association of Nigerian Students has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027, describing the promise as a political response to economic hardship rather than a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s fiscal challenges.
The NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde, stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday, arguing that returning to the old subsidy system without a clear structural framework would recreate the problems that made the policy unsustainable.
Akinteye said NANS’ position was not partisan but based on the association’s responsibility to assess government policies and speak on issues of national importance.
He said, “Every sane and patriotic citizen who is conversant with our nation’s economy will agree with me that the removal of the fuel subsidy was a difficult but necessary economic reform aimed at ending an increasingly unsustainable system that consumed trillions of naira, benefited higher fuel consumers disproportionately, encouraged smuggling, and constrained the government’s ability to invest in critical sectors.”
The statement came amid renewed political debate over the future of petrol pricing ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku has maintained that he would restore fuel subsidy if elected, arguing that government should provide relief to Nigerians struggling with high living costs.
The former vice president recently clarified that his position on subsidy restoration was genuine, after an aide had suggested that a future administration would only restore subsidy temporarily before phasing it out. Atiku said the aide had not accurately represented his position.
His camp has also argued that the proposed intervention would be targeted at domestic production, with the objective of reducing production and transportation costs and easing the burden of high living costs.
The renewed debate follows the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu in May 2023. The decision triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to higher transportation, food and household costs, making subsidy removal one of the most contentious aspects of the administration’s economic reforms.
The Federal Government has, however, consistently defended the decision as necessary to eliminate a costly fiscal burden, reduce economic distortions and create room for investment in critical sectors.
The reform has also remained a major source of public debate because of the gap between its intended long-term benefits and the immediate hardship experienced by households and businesses.
NANS acknowledged that subsidy removal had imposed significant hardship on Nigerians but argued that the answer should be to ensure that resources saved from the policy are effectively deployed to improve citizens’ welfare rather than return to the old system.
Akinteye said the real test of the reform was not simply the amount of money saved but how the government deployed the resources. “However, the real measure of the reform should not be the savings alone, but what the government does with those savings,” he said.
He added that resources freed by subsidy removal should be channelled into education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors capable of improving Nigerians’ living conditions.
“Clearly, we have seen the government increase state subventions and redirect resources into education, healthcare, infrastructure, and agriculture. Realistically, the Nigerian people have made a productive sacrifice that must ultimately translate into a stronger and more sustainable economy,” he said.
The NANS president argued that an outright return to subsidy without addressing the structural weaknesses of the previous arrangement would only recreate the problems that necessitated its removal.
“This is why calls or promises for the outright return of subsidy, without a clear structural framework for addressing the fundamental weaknesses that made the policy unsustainable in the first place, amount to little more than a political response to a genuine economic challenge,” Akinteye said.
He urged political aspirants seeking to govern Nigeria in 2027 to present sustainable economic policies rather than proposals focused solely on providing immediate relief.
“Every aspirant willing to rule Nigeria and not run or, perhaps, ruin her must come to national debates with clear and sustainable policies that do not just address the immediate needs or comfort of our people, but rather, policies that best shape our country and can stand the test of time,” he said.
Akinteye also urged Atiku to reconsider his position, arguing that Nigeria could not afford to return to a system that placed a heavy financial burden on government while critical sectors remained underfunded.
“I submit, with firm conviction, that Mr Atiku Abubakar knows himself that we cannot return to the era of paying heavily for subsidy while we languish in infrastructural underdevelopment, with many states lacking the capacity to pay workers without borrowing,” he said.
He called on political leaders to focus on policies that address the structural weaknesses of the economy and ensure that Nigerians’ sacrifices translate into tangible improvements in their standard of living.
NANS said its position was not based on support for any political party or candidate, but on what it described as the long-term economic interests of Nigeria.
The association maintained that while the hardship associated with subsidy removal must be addressed, reversing the reform without establishing a sustainable framework could expose the country to renewed fiscal pressure and undermine efforts to diversify government spending.
The debate over subsidy is expected to remain a major issue ahead of the 2027 elections, with political parties and presidential aspirants likely to face growing pressure to explain how they would balance affordable fuel prices, government revenue, domestic refining, social protection and fiscal sustainability.
Deborah Tolu-Kolawole is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with four years of experience covering Nigeria’s vast education sector as well as related areas such as politics, health, security, and labour. She blends rigorous reporting with digital storytelling to bring clarity and insight to complex issues affecting learners, educators, and policymakers. Deborah was a nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize in Journalism, recognising her impactful reporting and contributions to Nigerian media. Her work reflects strong newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism. In addition to her reporting, she is fluent in multiple languages and serves as a contributing member of The Punch editorial board.
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