The Flaws in Implementation: Oby Ezekwesili Criticizes Government’s Approach to Subsidy Removal

The much-debated decision to remove Nigeria’s long-standing fuel subsidy has once again come under fire, this time from one of the nation’s most respected economic voices, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. The former Minister of Education and a fierce advocate for good governance, speaking at a panel discussion during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference, described the policy as a “good reform done the wrong way.” Her critique centers not on the policy’s intent but on its execution, which she says has compounded the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

“You can have the right policies, but if you implement them the wrong way, there will be problems,” Ezekwesili stated. She faulted President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural address pronouncement that “subsidy is gone,” arguing that the abrupt declaration plunged the nation into economic chaos because the government had not prepared the necessary shock absorbers for the populace.

According to Ezekwesili, the lack of a preparatory plan is the policy’s most significant flaw. She noted that a proper implementation would have included “mitigation measures to cushion the impact on the poor.” The absence of such a plan, she explained, has led to soaring inflation that hits the most vulnerable hardest. “Inflation is punishing the populace, and the poor have nowhere to run,” she stated, lamenting that over 133 million Nigerians are already trapped in a cycle of poverty.

Her comments at the NBA conference, which were part of a broader call for accountability and professionalism, underscore a central point of contention in Nigeria’s economic landscape. While many economists agree that the fuel subsidy was an unsustainable burden on the national treasury, critics like Ezekwesili argue that the government’s approach was a textbook case of how not to implement a difficult but necessary reform. The lack of a phased plan, transparency in how the savings from the removal are being utilized, and effective palliatives has led to widespread public dissatisfaction.

Ezekwesili’s warning to Nigeria’s political class to stop being “a bunch of lousy politicians that are poised to destroy generations” serves as a powerful reminder of the deep-seated frustration with the country’s governance. Her message is a call for a more empathetic, transparent, and well-planned approach to governance, one that puts the welfare of the poor at the forefront of policy implementation.