HURIWA Demands Review Of Petrol Subsidy Removal, Says Policy Is Anti-Poor

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has rejected the Federal Government’s position that there will be no return to the petrol subsidy regime, describing the policy as unconstitutional, illegitimate and fundamentally anti-poor.

In a statement issued on Monday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group argued that the removal of the subsidy was announced by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, without what it described as adequate national debate, broad-based consultation or consensus among Nigerians.

HURIWA said the government’s declaration that there was “no going back” on subsidy removal should not prevent Nigerians from debating the consequences of the policy, particularly amid rising petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices, inflation, unemployment and declining purchasing power.

The group said the continued escalation in energy costs was worsening the cost-of-living crisis and pushing millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty. It therefore urged citizens to peacefully mobilise and demand either the restoration of an appropriate and transparent fuel subsidy or an alternative mechanism capable of protecting vulnerable Nigerians from excessive energy costs.

HURIWA also questioned the justification for the policy based on the revenue reportedly saved by the government. It cited the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, as saying subsidy removal generated N15.8 trillion for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025, comprising N5.4 trillion for the Federal Government and N10.4 trillion shared among states and local governments.

The organisation asked the government to provide verifiable evidence of how the savings had translated into improved living conditions through transportation, healthcare, education, infrastructure, wages and social protection.

While acknowledging concerns over corruption, smuggling, rent-seeking and fiscal leakages associated with the former subsidy regime, HURIWA argued that removing the subsidy without establishing effective social protection had transferred the burden of economic adjustment largely to ordinary Nigerians.

The group also referenced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for controlled intervention in the oil and gas sector, saying alternative approaches to managing the sector deserved serious public scrutiny rather than outright dismissal.

HURIWA called on the Federal Government to urgently review its energy pricing policy and introduce measures capable of reducing energy costs while preventing corruption and abuse of public resources.

It further urged the government to respect Nigerians’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly, expression and protest, stressing that economic reforms would not be sustainable if citizens were excluded from meaningful consultation and left to bear the heaviest burden of adjustment.