Fuel queues have reappeared in Nigerian cities after President Bola Tinubu’s announcement that the government will disengage the fuel subsidy regime. Tinubu stated in his inaugural address that the current 2023 budget only supports the fuel subsidy until June, after which subsidies in oil will be diverted to building public infrastructure, education, healthcare and generating jobs. Tinubu’s statement has led to uncertainty among motorists and created panic that has led to a rush for fuel. Despite Tinubu’s claim, Nigeria has subsidised fuel for decades. The government has also made efforts to remove it without success after the Nigerian Labour Congress called for mass protests. The government will spend N3 trillion on subsidies in 2022, and the subsidy regime is expected to be phased out by the end of this half of the year.
