The Nigerian Advocacy for Good Governance Alliance (NAGA-Diaspora) has criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the continued hardship associated with the removal of fuel subsidy, saying millions of Nigerians are yet to benefit from the promised economic relief.

In a statement signed by its Global Coordinator, Tope Adesipo, the group said three years after Tinubu announced that “fuel subsidy is gone,” Nigerians continue to face high petrol prices, rising transport fares, increased food costs and declining purchasing power.

NAGA said the government had repeatedly highlighted the fiscal savings generated by subsidy removal, but argued that the benefits had not translated into meaningful improvements in the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians.

The group said households were still struggling with rising living costs, while businesses faced increased operating expenses due largely to higher energy and transportation costs.

“NAGA holds that a government that removes a major cushion without delivering visible, timely, and sufficient relief to the people who bear the burden has failed a basic test of governance,” the statement said.

According to the group, announcements about improved macroeconomic indicators and plans to expand compressed natural gas (CNG) infrastructure were insufficient to address the immediate economic pressures confronting citizens.

“Nigerians were told the pain would be temporary and that savings would fund development and social protection. Too many still wait for that dividend,” NAGA said.

The organisation, however, commended former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for making the cost-of-living crisis a central part of his political message.

NAGA said Atiku had proposed a targeted, production-linked intervention aimed at reducing energy and transportation costs, improving the value of wages and easing pressure on households and businesses.

The group said his position that Nigeria, as a resource-rich country, should not leave its citizens to endure prolonged hardship reflected concerns shared by many Nigerians.

NAGA stressed that it was not advocating a return to the previous subsidy regime without safeguards.

“Any future arrangement must be transparent, independently audited, capped, and tied to domestic production rather than a return to opaque import rackets,” it said.

The group also called for greater transparency over the utilisation of funds saved from subsidy removal, saying Nigerians deserved clearer explanations about how the proceeds had been deployed.

It urged the Tinubu administration to urgently assess and account for the impact of its energy and fiscal policies on ordinary Nigerians.

NAGA also called on Nigerians in the country and abroad to assess political leadership based on tangible outcomes in their homes, markets and transport hubs rather than government statements.

“The cost-of-living crisis is not an abstract debate. It is the daily experience of millions,” the group said, adding that leaders who recognise the hardship and present credible solutions deserve serious consideration.

NAGA-Diaspora reaffirmed its commitment to promoting good governance, accountability and policies focused on improving the welfare of Nigerians.