Atiku Backs Dangote, Proposes Production Subsidy for Nigerian Refineries

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has publicly backed Dangote Refinery's objection to arbitrary pump-price controls, proposing a "production subsidy" for domestic refineries to lower consumer fuel prices without forcing them to sell at a loss. In a statement issued on September 11, 2026, by his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of misrepresenting his proposal and creating a false equivalence with the previous import-focused subsidy regime. Atiku's proposal aims to reduce the cost of crude feedstock supplied to qualifying Nigerian refineries through a transparent, capped, and independently verified mechanism. He argued this would allow refiners to produce fuel more cheaply, translating into lower prices for consumers while preserving their legitimate commercial margins. "Import subsidy spends public money supporting petrol refined abroad and brought into Nigeria. Production subsidy supports crude refined here in Nigeria so that Nigerian refineries can produce fuel more cheaply and Nigerians can pay less," he stated.