04/08/2024
UPDATED: : Tinubu speaks, won’t reverse petrol subsidy removal, naira floating
In a televised broadcast, the president said the policies, despite the temporary adverse effects, were necessary and had helped remove corruption in the sector.
byAbdulkareem Mojeed August 4, 2024 Reading Time: 3 mins read
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said that his government would not reverse the removal of petrol subsidies and floating of the naira, two policies that protesters want reversed.
In a televised broadcast, the president said the policies were necessary and had helped remove corruption in the system despite their temporary adverse effects.
The policies have led to Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, as prices of goods and services more than doubled across the country.
Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets on 1 August to demand economic and political reforms including the reversal of some government policies.
The protesters have remained defiant despite attacks by security agencies that have led to at least 13 deaths, according to Amnesty International, a figure the police disputes.
On 29 May 2023, Mr Tinubu, in his inaugural address, announced the removal of petrol subsidies to lift a major financial burden off the back of the government.
The aftermath of the policy has caused hardship for many Nigerians with its attendant increase in the prices of goods and services.
Mr Tinubu’s announcement led to an increase in fuel price from N197 to between N480 and N570, which immediately triggered a rise in transportation fares and prices of goods and services in the country.
Similarly, in July 2023, the petrol pump price was reviewed upward to N617/litre at various outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
Also, during his inauguration speech, Mr Tinubu unveiled a plan to harmonise the nation’s multiple exchange rates as part of the broad plan to transform Africa’s largest economy.