Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, has stated that Nigeria’s current economic hardship could have been significantly reduced if the fuel subsidy had been removed in 2011, as reported by ChannelsTV on Tuesday October 28 2025.
Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference in Abuja, Sanusi reflected on the decisions made during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, noting that the plan to eliminate the subsidy was reconsidered due to national security concerns.
He said the Jonathan administration had intended to implement the reform but was forced to delay it because of the Boko Haram insurgency, which was at its peak at the time.
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Sanusi explained that while removing the subsidy would have caused short-term discomfort, the long-term economic benefits would have outweighed the initial pain Nigerians might have faced.
He said President Jonathan showed strong commitment to the policy shift, but the volatile security situation made it difficult to proceed. The government ultimately chose to prioritize the safety of citizens over economic restructuring, a decision Sanusi believes has had lasting consequences.
He said,
“If Nigerians had allowed the Jonathan government to remove the subsidy in 2011, there would have been pain. But that pain would have been a very tiny fraction of what we are facing today. This is the cause of the delay.”