The $1 billion Renewed Hope Social Protection Programme of the Federal Government has been characterised by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as an “audio intervention” intended to deflect attention from the financial hardship brought on by the elimination of the fuel subsidy.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, made the comments on Friday in response to the government’s recently announced initiative to reduce poverty and the ongoing controversy surrounding fuel subsidies.
Abdullahi questioned the programme’s funding structure, claiming that the government’s admission that it lacks the full $1 billion casts doubt on the endeavour.
“I heard the minister say that although they don’t have the money, they have a commitment. Since it was an audio intervention, it must be phantom.
“You are aware of phantom things and this government.” They claimed, “No, we don’t have the $1 billion; we are only saying that we have a commitment of 50% of that,” which made it a phantom, according to Abdullahi.
The federal government launched the Renewed Hope Social Protection Programme on Wednesday, which is a $1 billion initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable Nigerians and helping them achieve long-term economic self-reliance. The programme targets about 7.6 million vulnerable households, with eligible families expected to receive a one-off cash transfer of ₦40,000.
The National Social Register must be used to identify beneficiaries, and their National Identification Numbers (NINs) must be used for verification. The government said the initiative would also improve coordination among poverty-reduction programmes and enable authorities to track households as they move from vulnerability towards economic stability.
Abdullahi, however, questioned the role of the first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, at the launch of the programme, arguing that it was a federal government initiative rather than a personal project. “At the launch, it was the wife of the president, and we said, What’s her constitutional role? Because it was a federal government project, it’s not a pet project of the first lady. Why is she the one leading it?” he asked.
The ADC spokesman also defended the party’s position on the removal of the petrol subsidy, following debates over the policy. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is ADC’s presidential candidate, had said he would reverse the subsidy removal if elected, arguing that the government should introduce measures to reduce the cost of living and provide relief to Nigerians.
Abdullahi said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was “running helter-skelter” because Nigerians were increasingly receptive to the ADC’s position on the economy.
“Why are they running helter-skelter since we brought up the issue of subsidy? When last did you hear any governor in the APC, or the president, as a matter of fact, talk about helping Nigerians to travel more cheaply? He further added, “They are only reacting because the ADC and Atiku Abubakar said we are going to reduce the cost of living, and that is our priority, and we are going to introduce a production subsidy.
“They’ve ruined livelihoods, and every single analyst and commentator will tell you that the snowballing of poverty since President Bola Tinubu came to power is directly consequential to the action they took on the removal of the subsidy. This is a different country from 2023. Nigerians have suffered, and Nigerians are too poor as a people not to require support in an economy like this,” Abdullahi said.
“That is the point the ADC is making: our economic principle will be anchored on the protection of ordinary Nigerians.”
The proposal to reverse the removal of gasoline subsidies was criticised by President Bola Tinubu, who called it a “demonstration of serious ignorance on governance and the economy”.
Since then, the subsidy debate has continued to play a significant role in conversations concerning the government’s economic reforms and the growing cost of living.
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