Presidency Tells Nigerians Fuel Subsidy Savings Are Funding Schools, Hospitals, Roads

By Peter Salami
The Presidency on Wednesday defended President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy, saying Nigerians are beginning to reap the benefits through increased investment in education, healthcare and infrastructure across the country.

Speaking during the Renewed Hope Ambassadors’ media tour of Federal Government projects in Owerri, Imo State, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman, said projects inspected by the delegation showed that funds previously spent on fuel subsidy were now being channelled into development initiatives with direct benefits for citizens.

Rahman, who also serves as Director of Media and Publicity of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, said the projects demonstrated how improved funding had enabled both the Federal Government and state governments to accelerate development.

“From all the projects we have seen so far, we can confirm the beauty and significance of states being in alignment with the centre for the purpose of development,” he said.

Among the projects inspected were the ongoing upgrade of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education and improvements at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, which Rahman described as evidence of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving public services.

He also commended Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma for complementing Federal Government initiatives through projects aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We can see that Governor Hope Uzodimma has executed essentially Federal Government projects. He is doing it to support the Federal Government in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.

Rahman further pointed to projects funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the growing number of students from Imo State and the South-East benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as evidence that the administration is expanding access to higher education.

He maintained that the decision to remove fuel subsidy was carefully considered, arguing that resources previously used to finance the programme were now being redirected to projects capable of improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

“It also shows that the removal of subsidy is a well-thought-out decision. The governors of the states the Renewed Hope Ambassador Media Tour has visited have confirmed that making funds available has helped them to implement projects. If the full benefits have not come to some states till now, they will come in no distant time,” Rahman said.

The Presidency has consistently argued that ending the subsidy regime has significantly increased revenues available to all tiers of government, enabling greater investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other public services aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians.