President Bola Tinubu has defended his administration’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy, describing calls for its reversal as a sign of “serious ignorance” of governance and the economy.

Tinubu made the statement on Thursday when he received Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The President said one of his political opponents had recently promised to restore the subsidy if elected, but argued that such a position failed to recognise the economic challenges facing the country.

“I saw one of my opponents now say he will go back to subsidy. I read it. That is a demonstration of serious ignorance on governance and economy,” Tinubu said.

He recalled that 27 state governments were unable to pay workers’ salaries before he assumed office in 2023 and depended heavily on the Federal Government.

Tinubu said the removal of the subsidy had provided governments with more resources to meet their responsibilities, including payment of salaries and pensions, infrastructure development, healthcare, education and other social services.

He noted that state governments remain closer to the people and therefore require sufficient resources to provide essential services to citizens.

The President announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The policy triggered widespread criticism following increases in petrol prices and the cost of living.

However, Tinubu has continued to defend the decision, arguing that it was necessary to protect the country’s economy from collapse.

In May, he said the removal of the subsidy helped avert an imminent national bankruptcy and created the foundation for economic recovery.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, also disclosed on Wednesday that the removal of the petrol subsidy generated ₦15.8 trillion in resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

Oyedele explained that the amount did not appear as a separate credit in the Federation Account under the description “subsidy savings,” but represented resources made available to the Federation as a result of the policy.

The Federal Government maintains that the funds saved from subsidy removal have strengthened government finances and supported the implementation of economic and social programmes.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday presented his certificate of return to President Bola Tinubu during a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Adeleke arrived at the Aso Villa at about 5:25 p.m., dressed in a navy-blue traditional outfit and carrying a walking stick. He arrived in a black Toyota Land Cruiser alongside National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The meeting marked Adeleke’s first encounter with President Tinubu since his re-election in the August 15 governorship election.

A photograph shared by Adeleke’s Special Assistant on Digital Media, Olalekan Badmus, showed the governor shaking hands with the President after the meeting.

The governor had received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday. During the presentation, he announced plans to establish a N500 million endowment fund for victims of election-related violence.

Adeleke was declared the winner of the election by INEC’s State Returning Officer, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, after securing 511,067 votes.

He defeated the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.

The latest victory marks Adeleke’s second consecutive governorship election victory in Osun State, having won the 2022 election as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers across Nigeria have been directed to immediately withdraw consumer goods with incomplete, misleading or deceptive labels from the market.

The directive was contained in a public advisory issued by the commission’s management and shared on its official X account on Tuesday.

Market surveillance and routine inspections revealed,

FCCPC noted, an increasing number of products being sold without essential labelling information required by law.

The commission stated that some products were found with misleading claims, while others lacked production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin and other mandatory details.

“Market surveillance, routine inspections, and quality assurance activities have revealed products bearing misleading or deceptive information, as well as products without production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin, and other mandatory labelling information,” the FCCPC said.

The commission noted that it is empowered by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, to enforce compliance with product labelling standards in collaboration with regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

It warned that deceptive or incomplete product labels violate consumers’ right to accurate information needed to make informed purchasing decisions and could expose them to health, safety and economic risks.

“Accordingly, the Commission directs all manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to immediately review their inventories and withdraw from sale any consumer goods that do not comply with applicable labelling requirements,” the statement added.

The FCCPC further warned that businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk regulatory sanctions.

The commission also advised consumers to carefully inspect product labels before purchase and avoid goods with missing, altered, illegible or misleading information.

It urged members of the public to report suspected cases of non-compliance through its official complaint channels, adding that it would intensify market surveillance and enforcement efforts nationwide to strengthen consumer protection.