A lot of people have been going on about the need for subsidy palliatives. They say that the government needs to cushion the blow of subsidy removal.

I beg to disagree.

The 2016 budget is all the palliative necessary. If people are asking for a Sure-P type program they are in effect asking for a reintroduction of subsidies through the back door.

The proverbial case of a dog chasing it's tail.

There is already a N500 billion social impact program built into this budget with an additional 350 billion for infrastructural projects with " carry" This is a " big government" budget that clearly separates the economic philosophies of the PDP and the APC. For 16 years the PDP pursued a conservative " trickle down" economic program in which government support of the few was supposed to result in good to the many. This government has taken a different route with a highly invasive social program and a huge reflationary budget. You can say the PDP is like the U.S Republican party while the APC is like the Democratic party.

Be that as it may, Nigeria does not need a special Sure-P type palliative program that will create a few more new billionaires. What Nigeria needs and what Nigeria has got is a comprehensive bottom up plan that not only aims at restructuring the revenue base of the country but also effecting behavioural modification on its people. It says that that people shouldn't focus on a consumptive and ephemeral lifestyle but rather on a productive one. It says that the current service sector is largely a sham. It should be reflecting and not driving the productive and manufacturing sectors.

So it's going to hurt and hurt good. Changing lifestyle and habits is never easy. But the Nigerian people are resilient, intelligent and hard working. We will thrive and rebound.

I've added recently released infographics to help us understand that the palliatives are embedded within the budget and there is no need for a new program. All we are asking of this government is that they share our pain and execute well.

Even without reading,I strongly support this... It's a counter thread to TonyeBarcanista's sentimental & biased write up.

Thank God i was able to print a copy of this balderdash of a thread and used it to clean my nyash Else I wouldn't have forgiven my self for viewing such a thread

Very thoughtful write-up. The N500bn social intervention fund is d first in Nigeria and is more than enough as palliative.

What I'll still support though, is increment of minimum wage to N25-40k. The N80-100k figures people are clamoring for is just unrealistic.

@OP. Subsidy payments wasn't exactly provided for in d 2016 budget. So d govt can't remove what wasn't there in d first place. The pump price increase has more to do with lack of forex than subsidy removal.