How Tinubu is Using Subsidy Gains to Fund Education, Health and Infrastructure
In the most audacious approach to governance ever, President Bola Tinubu on assumption of office removed the cancerous fuel subsidy that had become the major hinderance to the social and
President Bola Tinubu's administration has effectively transformed Nigeria's subsidy removal into a catalyst for improving education, health, and infrastructure. Three years after the initial removal of the fuel subsidy, the gains have been put to good use in addressing the nation's pressing needs. This article explores how the Tinubu government is reviving Chief Obafemi Awolowo's education and health models, while also promoting gainful employment and rural-urban integration.
Education has been significantly impacted through the establishment of the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) at the federal level. This initiative has removed the heavy burden of tertiary education costs from parents, enabling about 1.5 million Nigerian students to access education without the need for tuition fees. Additionally, the federal government is rejuvenating primary healthcare centers, improving drug supply chains, and implementing health insurance schemes.
However, the real impact on the ground will depend on the states and local government levels stepping up to provide free, quality secondary education and primary/secondary healthcare.
At the state and local government levels, there is a clear call for these bodies to take full responsibility for free, quality secondary education and free primary/secondary healthcare. Local government areas must ensure that every ward has a functional primary education and healthcare center. The success of Awolowo's Four-Cardinal Programme from the 1950s can be seen in the groundwork laid by Unity Party of Nigeria governors in the 1970s.
Ironically, progress stalled after 1983, but President Tinubu's administration is now reviving this model with contemporary enhancements.
Beyond education and health, the Tinubu government is actively promoting gainful employment and rural-urban integration. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister Nyesom Wike has integrated urban and rural areas more than any minister since 1976, thanks to improved infrastructure like roads, water systems, schools, and clinics.
At the federal level, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Maiduguri Super Highway are connecting rural areas across various states, facilitating the movement of farm produce, job creation, and market access. These initiatives are a testament to gainful employment and integration, which are essential for building a truly federal Nigeria.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
