More than three years after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy, the Federal Government is introducing a fresh wave of measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis occasioned by the government’s economic reforms.
But with the 2027 general election approaching, the timing of these interventions raises a difficult question: did the government only recently discover what could bring relief to Nigerians, or is it stepping up assistance when the political benefits could be greatest?
From a 90-day economic action plan to cash transfers targeting 7.5 million households and a N70,000 monthly transport intervention for public service workers, the government has announced measures aimed at cushioning the effects of economic reforms.
At its 161st meeting, chaired virtually by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the National Economic Council endorsed a 90-day economic action plan proposed by the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The plan focuses on food affordability, tax harmonisation, completing high-impact projects, removing investment bottlenecks and providing regulated household support. The council also approved a national dashboard to track projects and improve transparency, including reporting on proceeds from fuel subsidy removal.
Shettima urged state governors and relevant institutions to ensure that economic reforms translate into better living conditions, stressing that policies should be judged by their impact on people’s daily lives.
The government is also targeting 7.5 million households in another round of cash transfers. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bernard Doro said the administration was combining the transfers with vocational training, grants to farmers and collateral-free loans.
However, the effectiveness of these programmes will depend on whether assistance reaches the people who need it and whether it provides meaningful relief from the pressures on household budgets.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has questioned the effectiveness of the government’s 90-day relief plan, describing it as a ‘confession, not a solution’.
Chris Onyeka, the NLC’s assistant general secretary, argued that temporary interventions would not address the underlying causes of economic hardship, including rising living costs and declining purchasing power. The labour body also questioned the plan’s transparency and raised concerns about its timing ahead of the 2027 general election.
Transportation is another focus of the government’s response. Following a conciliation meeting with organised labour on October 27, the Federal Government approved a N70,000 monthly transport intervention for public service workers for six months, beginning in November 2026.
The agreement also provides for outstanding peculiar allowances to be paid in three equal monthly instalments from November. However, the government and the NLC failed to agree on the effective date for implementing the national minimum wage.
Although the transport intervention could help public servants, it does not directly cover private-sector workers, traders, artisans, students and other commuters who also face high transportation costs.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles reported fare reductions of between 15 and 50 per cent on some programme routes. However, it did not identify the specific routes or provide comparisons of previous and current fares, making it difficult to independently assess the savings available to commuters.
The bigger question is whether these measures represent a sustained commitment to improving living standards or a late response to hardship that has persisted for years.
With the 2027 election approaching, Nigerians may reasonably question whether the renewed push for relief is driven solely by economic necessity or whether electoral considerations are also influencing the timing. The announcements alone, however, do not prove that the government deliberately delayed assistance for political advantage.
Ultimately, the government will be judged not by the number of relief programmes it announces but by the difference they make in people’s lives.
After years of economic adjustment, Nigerians deserve to know why stronger relief measures are being prioritised now, whether the same urgency could have been demonstrated earlier and how the administration intends to ensure that the interventions continue beyond the election season.