Fuel Subsidy: Okogwu Urges Transparency, Digital Tracking

A former member of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Board, Dr. Chike Okogwu, has backed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027.
In a statement signed by him in Abuja, Okogwu said Nigeria’s problem was not subsidy itself, but how it was managed and abused.
Okogwu, who represented Persons With Disabilities on the SURE-P Board from 2012 to 2015, called for a transparent and technology-driven subsidy system that would ensure accountability.
According to him, SURE-P demonstrated that funds from subsidy reforms could support important infrastructure and social programmes. He listed the Second Niger Bridge, Loko-Oweto Bridge, road projects and railway rehabilitation among projects supported through the programme.
He said SURE-P should not be remembered only for corruption allegations, stressing that anyone found guilty of abusing public funds should be held responsible.
The former board member advised the government to use the Bank Verification Number, BVN, and other digital identification systems to create a better subsidy system.
He also proposed the use of technology to track fuel products and payments from refineries to filling stations.
Okogwu expressed concern over the rising cost of living since the removal of fuel subsidy, saying higher petrol prices had increased the cost of transportation, food, healthcare and education.
According to him, the situation has worsened the hardship faced by many Nigerians, particularly persons with disabilities, the elderly and low-income earners.
He called for greater transparency in the use of funds saved from subsidy removal, stressing that Nigerians deserve to know how the money generated from subsidy removal has been spent and the benefits delivered to citizens.
The statement also called for more support for local refining to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel.
“Any new subsidy system must protect vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, widows, students, farmers and low-income earners,” he stated.
The statement maintained that subsidy could help reduce the cost of living and protect Nigerians from rising fuel prices.
It therefore urged the government to learn from the successes and failures of SURE-P and build a subsidy system that is transparent, accountable and beneficial to Nigerians.