I Am Not Into Economics,But I Have Realized Nigerians Have Money;They Are Just Feeding on Govt-Gumi

NEWS HUB CREATOR • 5h ago

Islamic scholar Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has suggested that Nigerians have more money than many people assume, arguing that citizens are benefiting from government resources that could otherwise be channelled towards infrastructure development.

Gumi made this observation during an interview on PAPShow on Friday, October 30, 2026, while discussing the removal of the petrol subsidy, rising fuel prices and the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The cleric expressed surprise that despite the significant increase in petrol prices following the removal of the subsidy in 2023, Nigerian roads, particularly in Abuja, continue to experience heavy traffic congestion.

According to him, he had initially expected the removal of the subsidy to result in considerably fewer vehicles on the roads because of the increased cost of fuelling cars. However, the continued heavy traffic made him reconsider his perception of Nigerians’ financial capacity.

He argued that the money spent on subsidising petrol consumption could instead be redirected towards essential infrastructure projects that would benefit the wider population.

Gumi also pointed to the ongoing construction of the Abuja-Kaduna road as an example of infrastructure development under the Tinubu administration, noting that the project had stalled under the previous government.

Explaining his position, the Islamic scholar said, “I am not really into economics, but I’ve realised Nigerians have money. So they are just feeding freely on the government, when such money could be used for infrastructure.”

His comments came amid ongoing debates over the economic consequences of petrol subsidy removal, with Nigerians continuing to face high transportation costs and rising prices of goods and services.

Although Gumi acknowledged the economic hardship affecting vulnerable citizens, he maintained that government resources could be better utilised by reducing subsidy-related expenditure and investing more in infrastructure and social development.