By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has rejected the Federal Government’s CNG conversion initiatives, demanding the restoration of fuel subsidies.

Its President, Isah Abubakar, made the demand in a statement on Thursday in Kadina, expressing disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s recent comments on CNG conversion and transport subsidies.

Abubakar described the government’s response as delayed, saying Nigerians had endured prolonged economic hardship, inflation and rising living costs.

He said the council viewed the recent CNG initiatives and transport subsidies as inadequate measures that failed to address the immediate challenges confronting citizens.

The NYCN president alleged that the administration’s current interventions were politically motivated by criticism from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

Abubakar argued that subsidies remained an accepted economic policy used by governments worldwide to protect citizens and stabilise essential sectors.

He cited the United States as an example, saying the country subsidised energy, agriculture and fuel in spite operating a largely market-oriented economy.

“Why must Nigeria’s economic policy punish its own people under the guise of free-market reform?” he queried.

Abubakar said the restoration of fuel subsidy was the council’s “non-negotiable” demand, insisting that CNG infrastructure could not immediately address widespread hardship.

He argued that theoretical savings from CNG initiatives could not put food on the tables of millions of Nigerians struggling to meet basic needs.

The council also linked fuel subsidy removal to worsening insecurity, saying the policy had pushed millions of Nigerians into extreme poverty.

According to him, the resulting hardship contributed to rising insecurity, kidnapping and banditry, particularly in northern communities and across the country.

Abubakar urged Tinubu to reconsider his economic policies, saying Nigerians were tired of what he described as “trial-and-error governance models.”

He further claimed that the administration had lost the confidence of the masses and urged it to respond to the economic realities facing citizens.

The NYCN president warned that northern youths had reached their “breaking point” and were prepared to determine their political future through the 2027 general elections.

He said the council remained organised and resolved to mobilise its members to participate actively in deciding the country’s political direction at the ballot box.