Yilwatda blasts Atiku’s subsidy proposal, says it threatens minimum wage, student grants in Nigeria
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National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Photograph: (Credit: apc.com)
APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's proposal to restore fuel subsidy, warning that it could reverse economic gains, threaten workers' minimum wage, and cripple government funding for education.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy could reverse some of the gains of the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms.
Yilwatda made the remarks in Abuja while receiving a delegation of economic stakeholders who visited to discuss the state of the Nigerian economy and prospects for sustainable growth.
The APC chairman argued that returning to subsidy could place fresh pressure on government finances and affect the ability of both federal and state governments to meet their obligations.
He said the removal of subsidy had increased federal allocations to states, improving the finances of several sub-national governments and enabling them to meet salary and pension commitments as well as fund development projects. Yilwatda also linked the subsidy debate to the sustainability of Nigeria’s new minimum wage.
According to him, higher wages can only be sustained when governments have sufficient revenue to meet recurrent obligations without sacrificing spending on infrastructure, education and healthcare.
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The APC chairman further warned that reduced government revenue could have consequences for education, highlighting the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, as an intervention that has expanded access to tertiary education financing.
He also pointed to improvements in Nigeria’s digital payment ecosystem, saying reforms in the foreign exchange and payments space were creating opportunities for young Nigerians, including freelancers, software developers and content creators who work with international clients.
Yilwatda acknowledged the hardship Nigerians have experienced since the removal of fuel subsidy, but said government must continue strengthening measures to cushion the impact on vulnerable citizens.
He maintained that the solution should not be a return to what he described as an expensive and fiscally unsustainable subsidy system.
The APC chairman challenged political leaders advocating a return to subsidy to explain how much the policy would cost, how it would be funded, what programmes might be affected and how long it could be sustained.
He said Nigeria’s economic future should be guided by policies capable of delivering sustainable growth, employment and improved living standards rather than short-term political considerations.
The APC Chairmand defence comes as former Nigeria's vice president and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar recently reaffirmed his pledge to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, saying it would lower transport and food costs and restore Nigerians’ purchasing power.
He says the plan would focus on reducing production and energy costs rather than returning to the former subsidy regime, arguing that Nigerians need relief from the rising cost of living.
