NNPP presidential candidate urges Nigerian government to prioritize investment over fuel subsidy debate

Dikwa criticized the positions of President Bola Tinubu, who advocates for subsidy removal, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who proposes a "redesigned subsidy," describing both as insufficient to address Nigeria's economic challenges. He argued that neither approach would resolve the country's structural economic problems, stating that Nigeria has relied on petrol subsidies for approximately four decades due to failures in public infrastructure, particularly in power, transportation, and logistics. Dikwa highlighted agricultural wastage, food imports, and inefficient use of donor funding as key structural issues draining the Nigerian economy.

He cited an estimated N12 trillion lost annually to agricultural pre- and post-harvest wastage, substantial food import bills, and billions of dollars in donor funding without corresponding self-sustaining industrial infrastructure. Dikwa emphasized that functional industrial powers globally have developed through targeted subsidies to build dominance, secure supply chains, and protect domestic purchasing power, citing examples like the United States' agricultural strength, China's electric vehicle dominance, and the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy. He