TRUST DIALOGUE: It’s too early to assess Tinubu’s economic reforms – ex-minister

A former Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman, says it is too early for Nigerians to start assessing the economic reforms being put in place by the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government. Usman stated this in Abuja at the ongoing 21st Daily Trust Dialogue, identified “average Nigerians” as losers of fuel subsidy before its removal […]

A former Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman, says it is too early for Nigerians to start assessing the economic reforms being put in place by the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government.

Usman stated this in Abuja at the ongoing 21st Daily Trust Dialogue, identified “average Nigerians” as losers of fuel subsidy before its removal in May last year.

Daily Trust reports that many Nigerians have been groaning following the removal of fuel subsidy with many analysts arguing that the development has compounded the inflationary trend in the country.

But speaking, the former minister explained that immediately after the removal, average Nigerians became winners.

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He said, “I don’t know the reason behind the choice of the topic, particularly the emphasis on gainers and losers. Before the removal of fuel subsidy, the importers of petroleum products were the winners.

“Immediately after the removal, the winners were the average Nigerians and the losers were the importers and members of the fuel syndicate. But can we point out the winners now given the inflationary trend?”

The event currently holding at Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre, Abuja, has the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Malagi, and former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmud Jega, in attendance.

Others are the Special Adviser on Political matters to the President in the office of Vice President, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; Tope Fasua, among many others.