Fuel Discount: What Happens To Nigerians Living In Communities Without NNPC Stations? — Atiku’s Aide

Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol price discount, arguing that the initiative may fail to provide meaningful relief to millions of Nigerians because of the limited reach of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) retail network.

Ibe expressed his concerns in a statement shared on his official X account on Friday, October 9, 2026, according to a report by Vanguard.

He accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of focusing too heavily on the debate over the classification of the intervention instead of addressing the practical challenges Nigerians face in purchasing petrol.

According to a report by The Vanguard on Friday, October 9, 2026, the presidential aide to Atiku argued that the most important consideration should be whether the initiative would significantly reduce the financial burden on households and businesses, rather than whether it should be described as a subsidy or a commercial discount.

“Nigerians need relief, not semantics,” Ibe stated, insisting that disagreements over terminology would not change the difficulties citizens experience as a result of high fuel prices.

He questioned how the government intended to achieve nationwide relief through a distribution network that serves only a small proportion of the country’s filling stations.

Citing figures on Nigeria’s fuel retail sector, Ibe noted that the country has approximately 22,681 filling stations, while the NNPC operates slightly more than 900 outlets. He argued that this represents only about four per cent of the total number of retail stations nationwide.

Ibe also raised concerns about petrol availability at NNPC outlets, referring to figures indicating that the company recorded an availability rate of 52 per cent across its network in July 2026.

According to him, the combination of limited geographical coverage and reported supply challenges raises questions about the ability of the initiative to reach a substantial proportion of the population within the 30-day period.

“How does the government propose to provide meaningful nationwide relief through a network with such limited geographical coverage and documented supply challenges?” he asked.

The former vice-president’s aide further warned that residents in communities without nearby NNPC stations could struggle to benefit from the discount.

He argued that some consumers might have to travel considerable distances to access the reduced prices, potentially spending additional money on transportation and losing part of the financial benefit.

He cautioned that access to affordable petrol should not depend on where a person lives, stressing that Nigerians in rural communities and areas with limited NNPC coverage should not be disadvantaged by the design of a government intervention.

“Petrol affordability must not become another postcode lottery,” Ibe added.

He described the 30-day initiative as a temporary response to the country’s fuel affordability challenges, arguing that a short-term discount would not adequately address the underlying factors responsible for high petrol prices.

Ibe maintained that the government should consider more sustainable measures capable of reducing costs throughout the fuel supply chain. He also questioned the effectiveness of relying primarily on market forces to deliver affordable prices when many Nigerians continue to struggle with rising living expenses.

As an alternative, he urged the Tinubu administration to consider Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for production-based support linked to domestic refining.

According to Ibe, reducing costs at the production stage could help lower prices across a broader network of filling stations rather than limiting relief to selected outlets.

He argued that such an approach could provide more consistent benefits to consumers and reduce the geographical limitations associated with a discount available through a relatively small retail network.

“Nigerians deserve more than a 30-day experiment,” he said, calling for a policy that would provide lasting relief rather than temporary assistance.

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