Don’t Reverse Petrol Subsidy Reform, Accelerate Its Benefits – Idris

CROSS RIVER, CALABAR – The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerians to reject calls for reversal of petrol subsidy reforms, saying the priority should be to make the policy deliver faster benefits.

Idris said reversing the reform would threaten Nigeria’s fiscal stability, weaken confidence in the economy and jeopardise long-term development gains being pursued by the Federal Government.

The Minister stated this on Thursday in Calabar while delivering the keynote address at the official reactivation of the remodelled Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, now renamed the Cross River Information Hub, and commissioning of the new Government Printing Press.

He acknowledged that the removal of petrol subsidy had imposed pressure on households and businesses but argued that Nigeria could no longer sustainably maintain the previous arrangement.

“It was a difficult decision, and we recognise the pressures that the adjustment has imposed on households and businesses,” Idris said.

He maintained that the government’s responsibility was now to ensure that the reforms produced tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians rather than returning to what he described as an unsustainable system.

“The task before us is therefore not to reverse reform and return to an arrangement that the country could no longer sustainably afford. It is to make the reform work better and faster for Nigerians,” he said.

According to him, the government must accelerate domestic refining, improve transportation, expand social protection and create opportunities for businesses to cushion the effects of the reform.

He added that the additional fiscal space available to the three tiers of government should translate into visible improvements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and other productive sectors.

Idris warned that any proposal to restore the former open-ended subsidy regime must be assessed against its potential consequences for the country’s economy.

“Reversal would threaten fiscal stability, weaken confidence in the direction of the economy and jeopardise the long-term development gains Nigeria is working hard to secure,” he said.

He therefore argued that the appropriate response to the hardship associated with the reform was not to dismantle it, but to accelerate the delivery of its expected benefits.

“The answer to the hardship associated with reform is not to dismantle reform; it is to accelerate its benefits,” Idris stressed.

The Minister’s position formed part of a broader discussion on public communication and trust during his appearance at the newly transformed Cross River Information Hub.

Idris said the Federal Government’s ability to communicate difficult policy decisions clearly and honestly was essential to rebuilding public confidence, particularly as Nigerians grapple with the effects of major reforms.

He said government must explain its decisions with clarity, acknowledge challenges where they existed and listen to public concerns, stressing that public trust could not simply be imposed.

“Public trust cannot be commanded; it must be earned,” the Minister said.

The event also provided an opportunity for Idris to commend Governor Bassey Edet Otu for reviving the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation rather than allowing the institution to disappear.

He described the transformation as more than the renovation of a building, saying it represented an effort to restore institutional memory and strengthen credible journalism and effective government communication.

The corporation, established in 1971, had for decades documented the affairs of Cross River through publications including the Nigerian Chronicle and Weekend Chronicle.

Idris said the new Information Hub should become a centre for credible journalism, digital innovation, professional development and public engagement capable of telling the Cross River story to Nigeria and the world.

He also used the occasion to caution journalists against allowing the speed of technology, including artificial intelligence, to undermine professional standards.

“Technology may change the tools of journalism, but it cannot replace truth, accuracy, fairness and professional judgement,” he said.

The Minister urged journalists to interrogate claims, verify information before publication and resist pressure to sacrifice accuracy for speed or sensationalism, particularly as the 2027 general elections approach.

He said the elections would test not only Nigeria’s political institutions but also the integrity of its information ecosystem.

Idris further urged political actors, the media and citizens to resist misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and incitement, while placing national unity above sectional, ethnic, religious and partisan interests.

The Minister said the Federal Government remained committed to working with Cross River and other states to strengthen the institutions that connect government with citizens.

He also encouraged the management and staff of the Information Hub to justify the investment through professionalism, training, innovation and sound management.

The commissioning marked a new phase in Cross River’s efforts to rebuild its state-owned media infrastructure alongside the installation of a modern Government Printing Press.