Nigeria Would Have Been Bankrupt Without Fuel Subsidy Removal — Emir Sanusi.
By Our Correspondent.
Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, stated that Nigeria has not been fortunate in having quality leaders for quite some time. He criticized the country’s leadership, describing it as lacking in competence over the years.
Sanusi made these remarks during the second Kano International Poetry Festival (KAPFEST), held in Kano on Saturday. The event was organized by the Poetic Wednesdays Initiative (PWI).
According to the emir, good governance is essential for improving the country’s current state, which has been plagued by ineffective leadership. He said, “You rise and fall with the quality of your leadership, and Nigeria has had lousy leadership for a long time. We need to reevaluate the individuals we choose to lead us.”
He expressed concern about the prevailing quality of leadership, noting, “In many parts of this country, one looks at their leaders and wonders, ‘Oh God, is this really the person? How did we end up here?’ You can see it reflected in the news every day. You witness the kinds of debates and arguments in the legislature, the time wasted on trivial issues, and the pettiness.
“While other countries are debating climate change and artificial intelligence, we are still stuck discussing tribal and religious identities—Yoruba or Igbo, Hausa, North or Christian. These are conversations we have been having since the 1960s.”
The emir encouraged the youth to rise up and take charge of the country, suggesting that with determination, they could easily replace the older generation currently in power. He also pointed out that subsidizing fuel was never a sustainable strategy, stating that Nigeria would have faced bankruptcy if President Bola Tinubu had not removed the subsidy.
He explained, “If you look at the billions spent on subsidies, those funds could have been better invested in refineries. I have no objections to subsidies for production; my concern lies with subsidies for consumption, as we end up keeping refineries in Europe operational while giving jobs to foreign refiners.
“If we had taken action back in 2012, we wouldn’t be where we are today. People ask me why I’m not speaking out more, and I say, what is there to say? This is exactly what I predicted would happen—a point comes when government revenue isn’t enough to cover the subsidy, forcing us to borrow.”
Sanusi also warned that the current rate at which governments in Nigeria borrow money and mismanage funds could negatively impact the country’s economy in the future.
Earlier, PWI Creative Director Nasiba Babale mentioned that KAPFEST’s theme, “Poetry in a Time of Crisis,” aims to remind poets of the role they can play in advocating for peace amid the ongoing crises affecting Northern Nigeria.
