Africa's biggest economy set aside 3.36 trillion naira ($7.3 billion) this year to spend on the petrol subsidy until mid-2023, after which it has made no provision for the expense, which costs Abuja more than its spending on healthcare and education.
Ahmed said the government was considering some palliative measures to ease the pain of the subsidy removal - including cash transfers to the most vulnerable segment of the population and mass transit buses for workers.
Many nations use fuel subsidies as "political capital" - a means of pleasing the people who vote. And when those governments reduce or eliminate the subsidies, the public oftentimes reacts angrily.
