Connect with us

Business

Fuel subsidy to gulp N5.4tn in 2024, took N3.6tr in 2023, FG finally admits

Published

on

Despite constant denials that it was no longer subsidizing fuel, the Nigerian government has finally admitted that fuel subsidy will gulp N5trillion in 2024.

This figure is a sharp increase from the N3.6 trillion spent in 2023 and N2.0 trillion in 2022.

Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, made this known in a recent presentation of the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan, ASAP report.

He disclosed that the ASAP report was designed to address key challenges affecting the reform initiatives and stimulate development in various sectors of the economy.

“At current rates, expenditure on fuel subsidy is projected to reach N5.4 trillion by the end of 2024. This compares unfavorably with N3.6 trillion in 2023 and N2.0 trillion in 2022,” a draft copy of the ASAP presented by Edun said.

READ ALSO: Fuel subsidy removal necessary to reset Nigeria’s economy, Tinubu says at World Economic Forum

Meanwhile, Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil, at a recent ministerial briefing to mark President Bola Tinubu’s anniversary insisted that fuel subsidy has been completely removed.

“I can confirm to you that subsidy is gone; officially, there is no subsidy; I want to make it clear that there is no subsidy in the country today”, he claimed.

In a contrary view, recall that the President of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, had, in April, revealed that the Nigerian government was currently applying quasi-subsidy on fuel.

Recall that Tinubu’s ‘fuel subsidy is gone‘ statement served as a springboard for the policy implementation in June 2023, causing the pump price of the product to increase from N250 per litre to over N500, and later over N600.

By Babajide Okeowo

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now


 

Investigations