{
  "id": 2928613,
  "title": "Analysts Back Atiku on Refinery-Linked Subsidy, Knock Tinubu Govt over Uncushioned Mass Suffering",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/analysts-back-atiku-on-refinery-linked-subsidy-knock-tinubu-govt-over",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T02:53:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/08/24/analysts-back-atiku-on-refinery-linked-subsidy-knock-tinubu-govt-over-uncushioned-mass-suffering/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Economic and energy analysts have rallied behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's proposal for a refinery-linked subsidy model, criticizing the Bola Tinubu administration for failing to shield Nigerians from the impact of subsidy removal. Atiku, a presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), pledged to restore the subsidy if elected in 2027, citing a lack of transparency in how the savings have been spent. The current presidency has dismissed Atiku's plan as \"ignorant\" and \"retrogressive.\"\n\nProfessor Adeola Adenikinju, an economics professor at the University of Ibadan, agreed with Atiku's proposal but expressed concern over the government's lack of transparency and failure to protect the poor. Adenikinju suggested the government provide short-term palliatives such as discounted crude supply to domestic refineries, production subsidies for manufacturers and SMEs, and investment in mass transit and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to mitigate the effects on the vulnerable.\n\nThe government's revenue has increased since the subsidy removal, but analysts argue that the benefits have not trickled down to the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Managing Partner of The Energy Consulting Practice, Kelvin Emmanuel, supports Atiku's refinery-linked proposal as a viable alternative, stating that the proposal is production-linked and not consumption-based, thereby insulating pump prices from external shocks. However, a MEMAN member dismissed Atiku's pledge as electioneering, suggesting the proposed subsidy would be economically disastrous if implemented.",
  "summary": "– Say the vulnerable have been left on their own – Dismiss claim that ex VP is proposing old consumption subsidy Peter Uzoho A growing number of economic and energy analysts have",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}