The article discusses a statement from Babatunde Akinteye, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). He argues that politicians promising to bring back fuel subsidies in Nigeria are only trying to gain votes for the upcoming 2027 elections and are ignoring the country's economic realities. Akinteye explains that Nigeria has had fuel subsidies for about 40 years, but they have not worked effectively. Instead of focusing on restoring these subsidies, he believes the conversation should shift to how to use the money saved from removing them to improve the lives of Nigerians, especially students and young people. He emphasizes that high oil prices do not justify bringing back subsidies and that no serious presidential candidate would support reinstating them because they are not sustainable. Akinteye urges students and youth to ask political candidates how they plan to fund any new subsidy programs and to ensure that the savings from subsidy removal are invested wisely in beneficial projects. He also praises some initiatives from the current government, like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which helps students. Overall, Akinteye calls for a focus on practical solutions rather than returning to an ineffective subsidy system.
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