Nigeria: subsidy removal funds education and health initiatives
The Nigerian government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is revitalizing the governance model of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, focusing on education and health. The National Education Loan Fund NELFUND aims to alleviate the financial burden of tertiary education for approximately 1.5 million Nigerian students. In healthcare, the federal government is working to rejuvenate primary healthcare centers, drug supply chains, and health insurance. States and local governments are urged to utilize increased allocations from subsidy removal to provide free secondary education and primary/secondary healthcare. The government is also addressing gainful employment and rural-urban integration through infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Maiduguri Super Highway, which are intended to connect rural areas, facilitate agricultural trade, and create jobs. The article suggests that the pain of subsidy removal is being channeled into investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, reflecting a shift from funding consumption to investing in production.
