The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged Nigerians, particularly youths, to reject calls by politicians seeking to restore the fuel subsidy, arguing that attention should instead be placed on how funds saved from its removal are being utilised.

NANS National President, Babatunde Akinteye, made the call in Akure, Ondo State, during a youth summit focused on unlocking the potential of students for economic growth.

Akinteye argued that Nigeria had operated the fuel subsidy system for about four decades without achieving sustainable benefits. He maintained that successive administrations and economic experts had repeatedly acknowledged that the policy was financially unsustainable.

According to him, rather than returning to the old system, Nigerians should demand transparency and accountability in the management of resources saved through subsidy removal.

He said the savings should be directed towards projects and programmes capable of improving the lives of citizens, particularly young people and students, instead of allowing a few individuals to benefit from public resources.

The NANS president also warned that restoring the subsidy would place significant pressure on the country’s finances. He questioned how the government would fund such a policy without returning to the practice of borrowing to finance recurrent expenditure.

Akinteye urged politicians campaigning ahead of the 2027 elections to provide clear and practical plans on how they intend to manage the resources saved from subsidy removal and invest them in productive sectors.

He also pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the programmes that has provided support to Nigerian students since the subsidy reform.

The student leader further noted that the decision to discontinue subsidy payments was already reflected in the 2023 Appropriation Bill prepared before President Bola Tinubu assumed office.

He therefore described promises by political actors to restore fuel subsidy as political rhetoric and urged Nigerians to focus instead on ensuring that the savings from the policy are properly managed for national development.