Former Kaduna State Governor Nasiru el-Rufai stated that the Federal Government has been subsidizing petrol (PMS) since President Bola Tinubu's administration began on May 29, 2023, at a cost of about N8 trillion. He argued that without these subsidies, the price of petrol would be much higher than diesel, which is currently sold for over N1,000 in some locations, compared to petrol's price range of N600 to N750 per litre.
El-Rufai made these remarks while delivering a lead paper at a workshop in Maiduguri on enhancing the skills of government officials in policy implementation and human resource management. He emphasized the importance of decisive leadership, trustworthiness, empowerment, clear communication, and resilience for effective leadership, noting that leadership is a continuous process and policies may need to be modified based on their implementation outcomes.
Regarding the present administration, el-Rufai stated that while it is too early to fully assess its performance, the removal of fuel subsidies was a commendable policy. However, he noted that the government has reintroduced subsidies due to ineffective support packages to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal. He urged people to compare petrol and diesel prices to understand the presence of fuel subsidies, as petrol should normally be more expensive than diesel.
