Fuel subsidy hardship must deliver gains for Nigerians, PENGASSAN says

Nigeria’s fuel subsidy has been removed, but the hardship it created has yet to produce visible gains for ordinary people, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

PENGASSAN President Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro said the argument over whether the subsidy should have been scrapped no longer made sense. “I think the argument over whether to remove the subsidy or not to remove it is belated now. We have done it, but we need to start seeing the benefits of fuel subsidy removal in the lives of common Nigerians,” he said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

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I think the argument over whether to remove the subsidy or not to remove it is belated now. We have done it, but we need to start seeing the benefits of fuel subsidy removal in the lives of common Nigerians.

The policy, announced by President Bola Tinubu shortly after he took office in May 2023, pushed petrol prices from about 200 naira per litre to roughly 1,300 naira. That increase contributed to higher transport costs and a wider rise in the cost of living. Olabiyi-Agoro acknowledged that the decision had been painful, particularly for workers and low-income Nigerians facing continued economic pressure.

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What we are advocating for at the moment is that we want to see that translate into what is going to help a common man and not just the things that we see in figures.

He said reported improvements in key economic indicators, including second-quarter 2026 GDP growth of 4.43%, foreign exchange reserves and the balance of trade, needed to reach households. “What we are advocating for at the moment is that we want to see that translate into what is going to help a common man and not just the things that we see in figures,” he said.

Olabiyi-Agoro said workers were ready to support measures that strengthen the economy, regardless of which government was in power. He also said the end of subsidies had improved petroleum availability because products were now bought at their proper prices without government subsidy. “From the moment there was no budget for subsidy again up until now, we believe that we are buying products at their right prices without the government putting in a subsidy, so I think we’ve left one side of that argument,” he said. He urged the government to focus on ensuring that the policy’s economic gains improve Nigerians’ access to food and living conditions.

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From the moment there was no budget for subsidy again up until now, we believe that we are buying products at their right prices without the government putting in a subsidy, so I think we’ve left one side of that argument.