The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has clarified that the Federal Government’s fuel price relief measures do not amount to a return of petrol subsidy, but are intended to ease the burden of rising energy costs on Nigerians.
Idris made the clarification on Monday during an interactive media engagement with senior editors and broadcast anchors in Abuja, where he addressed concerns over fuel prices, the cost of living, labour relations, food security, poverty, infrastructure, national security and press freedom.
Explaining the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) 30-day petrol discount initiative, the minister said the company had chosen to forgo part of its profits to provide temporary relief to consumers rather than reintroduce government-funded fuel subsidies.
He maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remained committed to economic reforms aimed at improving Nigerians’ living conditions and ensuring that the benefits of economic recovery reach households across the country.
The minister cited declining inflation, stronger external reserves and increased non-oil export earnings as signs of progress, while acknowledging that more needed to be done to ensure ordinary Nigerians felt the impact of these improvements.
On the rising cost of living and outstanding labour issues, Idris expressed confidence that the Federal Government and organised labour would resolve their differences through dialogue. He also recalled President Tinubu’s position that minimum wage arrangements could be reviewed every three years instead of every five years.
The clarification comes amid public debate over the petrol discount and whether it signals a reversal of the government’s decision to remove fuel subsidy in 2023.