FG considers law to lock Tinubu’s reforms in place so the next government can’t reverse them

The proposed framework covers policies including petrol subsidy removal, taxation and tariffs.

Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele says the government wants to establish rules that will make economic policy more predictable and consistent across administrations.

The Federal Government is considering a law that would make it harder for future administrations to reverse President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, including petrol subsidy removal, taxation and tariff policies.

Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele disclosed this on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where he presented a draft Nigerian Economic Policy Framework.

He said the government now needs to "lock it in" through institutions, law and a policy framework so the reforms can last. He described unpredictable policy as a hidden burden on businesses.

He said tariffs should help local industry take off and not be a permanent shelter from competition. Officials have also specifically said there will be no return to petrol subsidy or to multiple exchange rate windows.

Oyedele said the framework is still a consultation draft and has not been approved. Public comments are open until November 27, 2026, through 17 questions on the Ministry of Finance’s website. After consultation and validation, it will go to the Federal Executive Council for approval and the National Economic Council for endorsement. The government is also seeking input on whether it should become law. Core provisions could move into law as soon as next year.

The government has maintained that subsidy removal is necessary and must be left in place The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, told the summit that "there will be no return to subsidy." He acknowledged pressure on households and businesses and said the government would adjust policies and target support to vulnerable Nigerians. He recalled that Tinubu presented a memorandum at the National Economic Council in October 2025 on sustaining the reforms.

The draft allows departures from the framework in an emergency, but any break would need a clear trigger, a time limit, disclosure of the cost and a published path back, Oyedele said. It also proposes mandatory policy impact assessments before major tax, tariff and regulatory changes. Oyedele added that the framework could influence the selection of public officials, with political appointees expected to understand and follow the agreed principles.

The reports reviewed did not say what legal force the framework would carry if it becomes law, or how a future government or the National Assembly could change it.

The proposal comes as the 2027 elections approach, and opposition politicians call for a reversal of some reforms over rising living costs. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has suggested a subsidy arrangement tied to domestic production and the supply of crude to local refineries.

The government has maintained that subsidy removal and the unification of the exchange rate were necessary to fix long-standing structural problems. It describes the old subsidy regime as unsustainable, prone to abuse and responsible for the smuggling of petrol to neighbouring countries.