Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has assured Nigerians that the newly introduced 5 percent fuel surcharge will not be enforced right away, despite growing public concern.
Edun gave the clarification on Tuesday while addressing journalists at a press conference held in his Abuja office.
He further explained that the fuel tax would not take effect in January 2026, unlike other levies approved earlier this year by President Bola Tinubu that are scheduled for implementation at that time.
“As of today, no immediate plan to implement such a charge,” the minister said in a reaction to the public pushback that has greeted the fossil fuel law which the minister said was not new but simply harmonised in the ongoing tax reform exercise of the federal government.
He pointed out that the law cannot take effect without a formal commencement order issued by the finance minister and published in the official gazette.
According to Edun, the government must first carry out consultations and dialogue with stakeholders, as well as embark on awareness campaigns, before moving forward with the implementation.
