A former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has said former President Muhammadu Buhari intentionally kept Nigeria’s petrol subsidy in place to shield citizens from extreme hardship and avoid needless deaths.

Nwajiuba defended Buhari’s handling of the economy, describing the subsidy retention as a deliberate move rooted in compassion and foresight.

The former minister who said these on ARISE Television, noted: “The former president held the subsidy so that Nigerians won’t die.

“He even said so during an interview with the BBC—he wanted to protect Nigerians first before considering anything else," he said.

Nwajiuba argued that since the subsidy removal by the current administration, the economic hardship has led to more deaths from poverty and desperation, Punch reported.

“The number of deaths in the last two years alone has exceeded those recorded from fuel tanker accidents or people struggling to survive,” he noted.

He criticised the sudden end to fuel subsidies without adequate safety nets in place for the most vulnerable Nigerians.

Economic resilience during Buhari’s era

Despite facing significant global shocks, including two recessions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Nwajiuba insisted that Buhari’s economic policies helped Nigeria remain relatively stable.

“This is an economy that recovered from recession twice and survived COVID-19. By the time Buhari left, the naira was still below ₦500 to a dollar. He did exceedingly well,” he said.

He further highlighted growth in sectors like mining, oil and gas, and non-oil exports, which he said reflected thoughtful planning under Buhari’s watch.

Referencing data from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nwajiuba lamented the recent closure of over 183 companies in the past two years, saying such instability contrasts sharply with what he called the “relative stability” of the Buhari years, The Cable reported.

“Everything we did in mining, improvements in non-oil exports, and oil sector reforms were documented. The numbers are there,” he said.

While admitting the former President was not perfect, Nwajiuba stressed that Buhari’s policies were carefully considered and impactful.

“He may not have known everything, but his efforts were deliberate and meant to improve people’s lives,” the former minister submitted.