Tinubu Govt Under Fire As N1,350 Petrol Discount Remains Unimplemented Two Weeks After Announcement

The Federal Government has yet to implement its proposed ₦1,350 per litre petrol price at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) filling stations, two weeks after Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele announced the plan.

According to a report by Daily Post on October 22, 2026, Oyedele announced the proposed discounted petrol price on October 8, arguing that Nigerians should be protected from fluctuations in global oil prices; He, however, clarified that the proposal was not a return to fuel subsidy.

The announcement generated mixed reactions, with some Nigerians welcoming the move while others expressed reservations about the policy.

However, checks by Daily Post at NNPCL filling stations in Abuja and surrounding areas showed that the proposed price reduction had yet to take effect 14 days after the announcement.

Instead of selling petrol at the proposed ₦1,350 per litre, most NNPCL outlets were dispensing the product at ₦1,405 per litre.

The report further indicated that NNPCL had increased its pump price from ₦1,370 to ₦1,405 per litre since Oyedele announced the proposed arrangement, representing an increase of ₦35 per litre.

Across other filling stations, petrol prices reportedly ranged between ₦1,395 and ₦1,429 per litre, leaving motorists without the anticipated relief from the proposed discount.

Reacting to the development, the President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Abubakar Maigandi, said implementing the proposed price would have benefited motorists.

Maigandi expressed hope that the government would proceed with the arrangement, adding that independent petroleum marketers should also be included if the discounted price was introduced.

He said the proposal would have been beneficial if implemented at NNPCL outlets and extended to other marketers.

The controversy comes more than three years after President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed the petrol subsidy in May 2023, a decision that has continued to generate debate over its impact on Nigerians and the cost of living.

The issue is also emerging as a subject of discussion ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has promised to reduce petrol prices if elected in the January 16, 2027, election.

Atiku and 16 other presidential candidates are seeking to challenge Tinubu, who is pursuing a second term in office.