Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that President Bola Tinubu deliberately kept his decision to remove fuel subsidy confidential before his inauguration in order to avoid market instability and policy backlash.

Shettima explained that the policy, which has become one of the most significant economic reforms of the administration, was not openly discussed during the transition period to prevent speculation and possible economic disruption.

According to him, the President believed that announcing such a major reform before assuming office could have triggered panic across key sectors of the economy.

He noted that once in office, Tinubu moved swiftly to implement the subsidy removal, describing it as a necessary but difficult decision aimed at stabilising Nigeria’s finances and redirecting resources to more productive areas.

Shettima added that while the reform initially caused hardship for citizens, it has since begun to yield fiscal benefits for both federal and state governments.

The Vice President reiterated the administration’s commitment to sustaining economic reforms while working to ease their impact on Nigerians through targeted interventions and development projects.