Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has once again spoken up for a plan he believes can ease the tough economic conditions Nigerians are facing, saying the government must back local producers if it truly wants to bring down prices of everyday goods.
Through his aide on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, the ADC's presidential flagbearer said on Sunday that whatever positive figures officials present about the economy mean little if ordinary people don't feel the difference in their pockets whether at the fuel station, the market, or while paying for transport.
As reported by Tribune Online, Atiku drew attention to the position of the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN), which has been pushing for stronger government backing of refineries operating within the country. He also referenced how the United States, under President Donald Trump, has taken similar steps to strengthen its own local energy sector suggesting Nigeria could learn from that approach.
He was direct in linking Nigerians' current struggles to the removal of the fuel subsidy, insisting that since that decision was made, families have had to cope with steeper costs for transportation, feeding, and fuel.
To make his point hit home, he shared the story of a woman running a frozen food business in Kubwa, Abuja. Her transport costs have gone up. It now costs more to keep her freezer running. Restocking her shop takes a bigger chunk of her earnings. Meanwhile, her customers are also feeling the pinch and spending less a ripple effect that touches everyone connected to her small business.
Atiku's answer to this problem is what he calls a "Production Subsidy" a scheme aimed at boosting what Nigeria makes and refines within its own borders, growing supply, and making sure any benefits trickle down to regular buyers instead of getting lost along the way.
He questioned why Nigerian producers and consumers shouldn't get the same kind of support other nations are giving theirs, especially when CORAN is asking for exactly that and America is investing heavily in its own energy production.
Beyond that, he pointed out that the government already extends tax breaks and incentives to major oil corporations. If such support can be given to big businesses, he reasoned, there's no reason smaller local producers and everyday households can't receive similar treatment.
According to him, Nigeria stands at a crossroads it can either continue on a path that keeps piling costs onto citizens, or it can choose policies that put spending power back into people's hands.
"Nigeria must produce more, so Nigerians can pay less," he said, stressing that families deserve to have money left over after meeting their basic needs, rather than struggling just to get by.
With the cost of living still a major concern across the country, it remains to be seen whether ideas like the "Production Subsidy" will move beyond political talk and shape actual economic policy in the months ahead.