By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 1, 2026
KEYPOINTS
- Former Ijaw Youth Council President Udengs Eradiri has urged President Bola Tinubu to use savings from fuel subsidy removal to rehabilitate Nigeria’s government-owned refineries.
- Eradiri rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy, saying the policy failed to deliver meaningful relief to Nigerians.
- He called for all government-owned refineries to operate at full capacity to increase domestic fuel supply and reduce petrol prices.
- Eradiri also urged the Federal Government to strengthen local government autonomy and ensure council allocations go directly to local governments.
- He proposed that the Independent National Electoral Commission conduct local government elections to reduce governors’ control over councils.
MAIN STORY
Former President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri, has called on President Bola Tinubu to redirect resources saved from the removal of fuel subsidy into rehabilitating Nigeria’s refineries and improving basic infrastructure at the grassroots, Eradiri made the call in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Tuesday. He also rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to return to fuel subsidy, arguing that the policy failed to achieve its intended purpose of providing relief to Nigerians.
According to Eradiri, rather than restoring subsidy, the Federal Government should invest the resources saved from its removal in areas that can directly reduce the cost of living and improve citizens’ welfare, He identified the rehabilitation and full operation of government-owned refineries as an immediate priority, arguing that increased domestic fuel production could create excess supply, lower petrol prices and eventually reduce the cost of goods and services, Eradiri also suggested that the President could establish a separate Ministry of Refineries to give greater attention to the challenges affecting the country’s refineries.
THE ISSUES
A major issue raised by Eradiri is how the Federal Government is using the resources saved from fuel subsidy removal, While acknowledging the need for economic reforms, he argued that the benefits of those reforms must become more visible to ordinary Nigerians. He believes functioning domestic refineries could help reduce dependence on imported petroleum products and put downward pressure on petrol prices.
Another major concern is local government autonomy, Eradiri accused many state governors of frustrating the implementation of local government autonomy and preventing council funds from reaching local governments directly, He argued that allowing local governments to control their allocations would enable them to invest in community roads, farm roads and other infrastructure that could improve living conditions at the grassroots.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
Eradiri said he disagreed with Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to return to fuel subsidy, maintaining that the previous subsidy system did not provide the relief Nigerians were supposed to receive, He said the focus should instead be on creating enough domestic fuel supply to bring down prices and generate a wider reduction in the cost of goods and services.
On local governments, Eradiri argued that councils should operate as an independent tier of government and receive their allocations directly, He also proposed that local government elections be conducted by INEC, rather than state electoral bodies, as a way of reducing governors’ influence over council chairmen.
WHAT’S NEXT
The key question is whether the Federal Government will adopt Eradiri’s proposals as it continues implementing its economic reforms, Attention will remain on the performance of Nigeria’s government-owned refineries and whether increased domestic production can translate into lower petrol prices.
The implementation of local government autonomy will also remain an important issue, particularly regarding the direct disbursement and management of council allocations, If Eradiri’s proposals are adopted, local governments could potentially have greater resources to invest in roads and other basic infrastructure at the community level.
BOTTOM LINE
Udengs Eradiri is urging President Bola Tinubu to resist calls for a return to fuel subsidy and instead use the savings from its removal to strengthen domestic fuel production and improve grassroots infrastructure, His proposal combines refinery rehabilitation with stronger local government autonomy, arguing that both measures could help make the benefits of economic reforms more visible to ordinary Nigerians.
