“We don’t know if other people would have had the courage to go ahead and remove it.”
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Pius Akutah, says President Bola Tinubu honoured his campaign promise by removing fuel subsidy on his first day in office.
Tinubu announced the removal on May 29, 2023, a move Akutah described as “a very bold initiative” that many past leaders avoided. “We don’t know if other people would have had the courage to go ahead and remove it,” he said.
According to Akutah, the policy has boosted revenues at state and local government levels, enabling more capital projects. “We are seeing many states executing huge infrastructural developments,” he noted.
He acknowledged the initial hardship but said the gains for government finances and infrastructure were evident. Akutah also praised Tinubu’s recognition of developments in opposition states, calling it proof of his commitment to national growth.
“The GDP was at one very low and the growth was very slow and sluggish before President Tinubu assumed office,” he added.