Atiku’s Proposed Subsidy Return Will Halt Educational Reforms, Reverse Economic Gains — APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent policy proposals, asserting that any attempt to reinstate the controversial fuel subsidy would systematically dismantle the fiscal foundation supporting Nigeria's ongoing educational reforms. According to party leadership, the trillions of Naira previously swallowed by the subsidy regime are now being actively redirected to critical national interventions, most notably the newly established Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and state-level primary education grants.

The APC leadership argued that the fiscal discipline enforced by the subsidy removal is what currently guarantees steady allocations to public tertiary institutions, capital projects in federal universities, and the national school feeding program. Reverting to the old regime, they claim, would trigger an immediate fiscal crisis, forcing the federal government to choose between artificially lowering fuel prices or maintaining the budgets of struggling public schools.

Critics of the current administration’s economic model, however, point out that the hyper-inflation triggered by the subsidy removal has made access to basic education even more difficult for low-income households. While the government claims these savings are being funneled into social infrastructure, everyday Nigerians continue to struggle with skyrocketing transportation costs and school fees, creating a highly polarized debate on the true cost of fiscal recovery.