State governors under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, have said the should not be blamed over accountability regarding the removal of fuel subsidy.
The governors said ibis not true that they cannot properly account for funds received from the removal of fuel subsidy.
Rising from its third meeting at the NGF’s Secretariat in Abuja early Thursday morning, the Governors, however, expressed support for
CNG vehicle conversion programme of the federal government.
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, who read the communique issued at the end of the meeting on behalf of the Chairman of the Forum, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, blamed the rising inflation in the country on the increase in transport.
When asked whether the Forum would accept blame that sub-nationals had not been properly accountable for funds obtained from the removal of fuel subsidy, Governor Diri said: “That cannot be true. That cannot be true. But we’ll leave that debate for another day.”
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The Communique read, “The Forum received a presentation from the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, on opportunities for State participation in CANEX Weekend 2026 and the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2027, both scheduled to be held in Lagos. Governors noted the platform’s potential to showcase investment-ready projects, promote local exports and tourism, and connect State MSMEs with African and global investors and buyers. The Forum assured the Honourable
Minister of its support in achieving these objectives.
“The Forum received a presentation on the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme (NACTP), a State-led initiative designed to translate the lower operating cost of CNG into reduced transport fares for citizens. The proposal envisages State support for CNG vehicle conversions, fleets and enabling infrastructure, alongside fare commitments from participating operators, with an indicative target of reducing passenger fares. Governors noted the initiative’s potential to ease transportation costs and agreed on the need to further consider its financing and implementation framework. ”
The Governors who also justified the decision to focus the palliative on the transportation sector, said that the cost of moving people and goods had a direct impact on the prices of food and other essential commodities.
The NGF said: “Transportation is key. Transportation is key to several other factors. Say, for instance, you are talking about foodstuffs increase in the cost of foodstuffs. They will tell you that ‘I’m moving from point A to point B, the transport cost is XY.’
“And so for that reason, the cost of my yam, the cost of my garri… And so by the time you reduce the cost of transport, as I said earlier, it will have a multiplier effect on several others.”
Responding to the wider debate on fuel subsidy removal and calls for a reversal of the policy, Diri who noted that the NACTP was among measures being considered to cushion the impact of the reform on Nigerians, said: “these are part of the issues that have been addressed, particularly with the number two that I just talked about today about transportation fares.
“And you see that the rise in the cost of every other thing is also hinged on the increase in transport. And so now that the Forum is going in league with the private sector to see how we can bring in CNG, and you know that gas is cheaper than petrol and others, which will actually reduce the costs of transportation.
“And it will have a multiplier effect on every other sector. And that’s because there is now the removal of subsidies. And the impact is expected to be on our people the very common man that we all talk about.”
The stance of the governors on how far the gains of fuel subsidy removal have gone down to the masses is seen as a back because of claims by the Presidency that Nigerians should ask their state governors what they have been using the funds for.
One of the things being touted as achievements by the Presidency is that more funds are now available for states and local governments to spend.
