By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over its 30-day petrol discount initiative, describing the measure as a temporary palliative that would not provide lasting relief to Nigerians grappling with rising living costs.

Atiku, in a statement, accused the Federal Government of introducing the discount as an election-season gesture after more than three years of economic hardship, questioning what would happen when the 30-day period expires.

The former vice-president said the government’s decision to offer a ₦50 discount on petrol at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) stations amounted to a temporary intervention rather than a comprehensive solution to the country’s economic challenges.

“What happens on day 31?” Atiku asked, arguing that Nigerians required sustainable policies capable of reducing fuel costs and easing the burden of transportation, food and other essential commodities.

Atiku said the rising cost of living had continued to affect households, businesses and farmers, accusing the Tinubu administration of implementing economic reforms without providing adequate protection for citizens struggling with their consequences.

He said Nigerians had endured higher food prices, increased transportation costs, rising business expenses and growing insecurity, adding that the government should not expect a short-term petrol discount to compensate for the prolonged economic difficulties experienced by citizens.

According to him, the administration had spent more than three years asking Nigerians to endure economic sacrifices, while the cost of essential goods and services continued to rise.

The former vice-president also accused Tinubu of introducing the petrol discount only after his administration had dismissed similar proposals for targeted support to reduce the burden of fuel costs.

Atiku said he had previously advocated targeted assistance to ease the impact of petrol prices but was criticised by the government for what it described as a lack of understanding of economic policy.

He argued that the government’s latest initiative had effectively adopted the principle behind his proposal, although he maintained that the administration had failed to implement it in a comprehensive and sustainable manner.

“When I proposed targeted support to ease fuel costs, you called me ignorant of economic policy. Your government said it could not be done. Now, in a desperate and clumsy retreat, you have shamelessly embraced the principle you mocked,” Atiku said.

He demanded an apology from the president but stressed that his greater concern was the need for the government to explain how Nigerians would be protected from rising fuel costs after the discount period ended.

Atiku distinguished his proposed production subsidy from the government’s 30-day discount, describing his approach as a long-term intervention designed to support local refining and reduce the cost of fuel.

He argued that a properly structured production subsidy could help lower domestic fuel production costs while providing more durable relief to consumers.

According to him, the government’s temporary discount lacked the policy framework required to guarantee stable transportation fares, predictable operating costs for businesses and affordable living conditions for households.

“Atiku described Tinubu’s 30-day discount as a ‘sugar rush masquerading as economic policy,’ arguing that the temporary reduction in petrol prices would be followed by renewed hardship once the initiative expired.

“Families cannot plan their meals around a temporary discount. Transporters cannot set stable fares on it. Businesses cannot invest or plan for the future on it,” he said.

The former presidential candidate maintained that Nigerians needed a sustainable economic relief programme rather than a short-term reduction in petrol prices that could offer only limited respite.

He also accused the president and his economic team of failing to adequately consider alternative policy proposals aimed at reducing the hardship associated with the government’s economic reforms.

Atiku said that during his State of the Nation address on September 18, 2026, he had offered to share his economic relief plan with Tinubu in the national interest.

He expressed disappointment that the president had not accepted the offer, alleging that the government had instead introduced a limited intervention that failed to address the underlying problems.

According to Atiku, the administration’s decision reflected what he described as intellectual laziness and an unwillingness to acknowledge alternative approaches to economic management.

He further accused the government of seeking public approval for a temporary discount after presiding over years of rising living costs.

“Now you offer a ₦50 petrol discount for 30 days and expect applause for returning a fraction of what Nigerians have lost?” he asked.

Atiku said the government should be judged by the overall impact of its economic policies rather than by the announcement of temporary relief measures.

He added that Nigerians were capable of distinguishing between a government pursuing a comprehensive economic strategy and one introducing short-term interventions to manage public dissatisfaction.

The former vice-president also questioned the practical implementation of the discount, particularly the government’s plan to prioritise public transport operators.

He asked whether the initiative would translate into lower transportation fares for passengers and what mechanisms the government would establish to ensure that transport operators passed the savings on to commuters.

“Do not hide behind the word ‘discount.’ You say public transport operators come first. Will fares fall? Who will enforce that?” Atiku asked.

He maintained that without clear enforcement measures and a sustainable policy framework, the initiative might fail to deliver meaningful benefits to ordinary Nigerians.

Atiku urged the administration to adopt a lasting economic relief strategy focused on reducing fuel costs, supporting local refining and easing the pressure on households and businesses.

He said Nigerians had endured significant economic difficulties and deserved policies that would provide predictable and sustained improvements in their living conditions rather than temporary relief measures.

The former vice-president says the public would ultimately judge the Tinubu administration by its ability to address the country’s economic challenges and improve the welfare of citizens.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Kano State Government spent ₦10.36 billion on miscellaneous expenses in the first half of 2026, a review of the state’s second-quarter budget performance report has shown.

The expenditure covers hospitality, publicity, welfare packages, refreshments and meals, celebrations and other miscellaneous items. It represents 16.3 per cent of the approximately ₦63 billion the state budgeted for general miscellaneous expenses for the 2026 fiscal year.

A breakdown of the report shows that hospitality consumed ₦1.78 billion between January and June, or 55.6 per cent of the ₦3.19 billion allocated for the item for the full year. In the second quarter alone, hospitality spending stood at ₦1.31 billion.

Honorarium and sitting allowances gulped ₦1.21 billion, representing 47.1 per cent of the ₦2.57 billion annual budget. The second-quarter report listed ₦1.207 billion under the category.

Publicity and advertisements accounted for ₦1.49 billion, or 35.7 per cent of the ₦4.16 billion budgeted for the year, while welfare packages cost ₦901.94 million against an annual allocation of ₦4.03 billion.

Refreshments and meals gulped ₦116.53 million, representing 7.6 per cent of the ₦1.54 billion allocated for the item. Other miscellaneous expenses stood at ₦3.80 billion, or 29 per cent of the ₦13.08 billion annual vote.

The state also spent ₦296.03 million on special days and celebrations, ₦64.62 million on local medical expenses and ₦40.30 million on international medical expenses.

Under the foreign scholarship scheme, ₦162.95 million was spent, accounting for just 0.6 per cent of the ₦26.23 billion allocated for the programme in 2026.

The figures come from the administration of Governor Abba Yusuf’s spending record in the first six months of the year, as captured in the state’s second-quarter budget performance report.

Sahara reporters

Kano State has risen to third position out of Nigeria’s 36 states in the 2026 Subnational Climate Governance Performance Rating and Ranking (SCGPR 3.0), further consolidating its remarkable progress in climate governance.

The latest ranking represents another significant improvement for the state, which moved from 35th position in 2024 to fourth in 2025, before advancing to third place in the 2026 assessment.

Speaking at the launch of the third edition of the ranking in Abuja on Thursday, the Honourable Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru Muhammad Hashim, attributed the sustained improvement to the deliberate reforms and strengthened coordination introduced under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Dr. Hashim said Kano had treated the rankings not merely as an assessment of performance but as an opportunity to identify institutional weaknesses, strengthen climate governance and translate policy commitments into measurable action.

“Kano’s rise from 35th to fourth position gave us a stronger foundation to build upon. Our task now is to sustain that progress through institutions that function consistently and programmes whose benefits can be demonstrated,” he said.

The Commissioner highlighted the Kano State Climate Change Policy and the ongoing advancement of the Kano State Climate Change Bill as key steps towards establishing clearer institutional responsibilities, continuity and accountability in climate action.

He also pointed to the state’s grassroots interventions, including the 10 Million Trees Campaign, which builds on the distribution of 5.5 million tree seedlings across the state’s 44 local government areas in 2025. The campaign incorporates digital monitoring, including GPS-verified planting locations, seedling allocation records and survival reporting, to ensure that tree-planting efforts translate into lasting environmental benefits.

According to Dr. Hashim, Kano is also strengthening climate coordination across its 44 local government areas, recognising that communities experience climate risks differently and that effective adaptation requires local knowledge and participation.

He said the integration of water resources, environment and climate change under one ministry provides an opportunity for the state to address interconnected challenges such as flooding, erosion, land degradation, water insecurity, pollution and changing rainfall patterns through more coordinated planning.

“Across these priorities, our objective is to make climate resilience a routine consideration in public decisions. It should inform how we plan infrastructure, support agriculture, manage water resources and prepare for disasters,” he said.

The Commissioner identified institutional strengthening, evidence-based monitoring and climate financing as priorities for the next phase of Kano’s climate response. He said the state would focus on developing well-prepared projects capable of attracting domestic and international financing, particularly in adaptation, water resources, renewable energy and land restoration.

Dr. Hashim also called for stronger partnerships among government institutions, development partners, universities, civil society organisations, businesses and communities to strengthen research, investment, technical capacity and local implementation.

He said the ultimate measure of Kano’s climate governance performance would not be its position on a ranking table alone, but the impact of government interventions on residents.

“For Kano, the ultimate measure of progress is the difference these decisions make to people’s lives: whether farmland remains productive, communities have dependable access to water, and homes and public assets are better protected from environmental hazards,” he said.

The Commissioner expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), development partners, assessors and technical teams for sustaining the Subnational Climate Governance Performance Rating and Ranking.

He also acknowledged Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his sustained support for climate governance reforms, as well as civil servants, local government officials, partners and communities whose efforts have contributed to the state’s progress.

Dr. Hashim said Kano would study the findings of the 2026 assessment, consolidate areas of progress and address identified weaknesses.

“Kano State will take the findings of this report back home, use them to refine our priorities and continue the work of protecting our people and their livelihoods,” he said.

Signed

Dr. Dahiru M. Hashim
Honourable Commissioner
Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change
Kano State