The Federal Government has defended the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s 30-day petrol discount, saying the initiative involves sacrificing part of its profit to ease the impact of rising fuel prices rather than restoring government subsidy.
Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris gave the explanation during an interactive meeting with senior editors and broadcast anchors in Abuja on Monday, where he defended the administration’s economic policies and addressed concerns over the cost of living, security, infrastructure and press freedom.
Idris said the NNPC had opted to forgo some of its profit to provide temporary relief to consumers amid rising international energy costs.
“The NNPC has looked at it and said, ‘Okay, we are making this much profit. Why can’t we forgo some of the profit that we are making, so that Nigerians will have some form of cushioning?’” he said.
The minister acknowledged that economic recovery must produce tangible benefits for households, despite what he described as improvements in key indicators, including inflation, external reserves and non-oil export earnings.
“Our task now is to ensure that this clear macroeconomic recovery is felt even more widely in the lives and households of Nigerians,” Idris said.
On labour relations, he expressed confidence that the government and organised labour would resolve outstanding disputes through dialogue. He also recalled President Bola Tinubu’s position that minimum wage arrangements could be reviewed every three years instead of every five.
Idris said consultations were continuing on the implementation of local government financial autonomy, with relevant stakeholders working to address practical challenges.
On food affordability, he cited measures to support domestic agricultural production and strengthen strategic food reserves. He also urged traders to avoid hoarding and practices that create artificial scarcity, saying government efforts alone would not guarantee affordable food without public cooperation.
The minister defended federal road projects as investments intended to connect cities, improve trade and support agricultural activity, rejecting the suggestion that the projects were driven by electoral considerations.
“Nobody is fixing road just because there is election,” he said, adding that improved road networks would help create economic corridors for businesses.
On security, Idris said the military’s operational structure had expanded from eight divisions to 12, alongside increased support for security personnel. He acknowledged that major challenges remained and said the government would continue efforts to protect lives and property.
He also addressed concerns about press freedom and reports of arrests involving people expressing political views, saying he was unaware of any directive from Tinubu authorising the repression of the media. He promised to seek clarification on specific incidents raised at the meeting.
Idris urged media organisations to verify information, maintain professional standards and avoid misleading or sensational headlines, arguing that freedom of the press must be accompanied by responsibility.
He said the government intended to sustain its engagement with media organisations, with meetings potentially held every two weeks to explain policies and address emerging national issues.
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