Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has warned that restoring Nigeria's fuel subsidy would unravel recent economic gains, listing ten specific consequences ranging from civil service salaries to national security. Writing on his X account, Omokri detailed the potential fallout, including risks to the naira, military funding, and student loans.
Omokri's Ten Consequences of Fuel Subsidy Return
According to Omokri, reinstating the fuel subsidy would jeopardize the regular payment of civil servants' salaries and the NELFUND student loan scheme. Universities would face disruption because the government would lack sufficient funds to manage the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), threatening the stability of the academic calendar.
On the economic side, Omokri argued that Nigeria's foreign reserves of $52 billion and the current relative stability of the naira would be jeopardized. He added that the growth of the Dangote Refinery and major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Illela-Badagry Superhighway, and the Eastern Railway Corridor, would also stall.
Impact on Military and Security
The former aide further warned that recent salary increases for the military and the planned expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to twelve would be reversed. He said insecurity would worsen because the federal government would no longer be able to fund military rearmament.
Omokri Urges Nigerians to Back Tinubu
Omokri called on Nigerians to trust President Bola Tinubu's management of the economy, pointing to what he described as significant macroeconomic progress. He said Nigeria's GDP had grown by $67 billion over two years and that the country had recorded 14 consecutive cycles of both GDP growth and trade surpluses.
"All of this macroeconomic stability will be jeopardised if Nigeria reverses the gains of subsidy removal," Omokri wrote, adding that "actions have consequences, especially poorly thought-out actions targeted at political ends rather than economic goals."
The fuel subsidy debate has remained one of the most contentious policy issues in Nigeria since President Tinubu announced its removal on his inauguration day in May 2023, a move that triggered a sharp rise in fuel prices and the cost of living across the country.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria's ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, had publicly declared his intention to vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, outlining 15 specific reasons in a post on X on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
