Two major petroleum marketers’ associations, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), have rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
The groups argued that returning to the subsidy regime would not address the structural problems confronting Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Their position followed Atiku’s recent pledge to introduce a targeted subsidy if elected president, amid continued debate over the economic consequences of the removal of petrol subsidy.
IPMAN spokesperson Chinedu Ukadike said the priority should instead be the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries and petroleum infrastructure.
He specifically pointed to the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries, as well as pipelines and petroleum depots, as areas requiring urgent attention.
The marketers’ position adds another dimension to the growing political argument over subsidy removal, which has become a major issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku has argued that government policies should not worsen the financial pressure on households simply to increase revenues available to governments, while supporters of subsidy removal maintain that the old system placed a heavy burden on public finances.
For IPMAN and PETROAN, however, the longer-term solution lies in restoring domestic refining capacity and strengthening the infrastructure needed to support the petroleum sector rather than returning to a subsidy regime.