Donald Duke has proposed a different approach to Nigeria’s fuel pricing, arguing that crude oil and gas produced locally should be used to reduce energy costs and support economic productivity rather than being priced entirely against international benchmarks.
The former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate made the proposal while discussing the economy, insecurity and infrastructure ahead of the 2027 presidential election. His remarks are consistent with his recent public criticism of aspects of the Tinubu administration.
Duke said Nigeria’s crude production should allow the government to supply petrol and diesel to Nigerians at close to the cost of production, with distribution costs and a modest margin added.
He argued that Nigeria produces significantly more crude than it requires for domestic consumption and should therefore use the portion needed locally to support its economy.
According to him, the government could potentially sell petrol for between N200 and N300 per litre under such an arrangement, while selling other crude by-products commercially to offset the cost.
Duke rejected calls for a return to conventional fuel subsidy, including the position attributed to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, saying his proposal was based on using Nigeria’s own resources at production cost rather than subsidising imported products.
He also called for greater use of Nigeria’s gas resources, arguing that locally produced gas should not be sold to Nigerians at international prices when the resource could be used to drive domestic industries.
Duke said gas should be processed and made available through distribution points across the country, including at least one in each senatorial district.
He also proposed marking locally produced petrol with a distinctive dye to enable security agencies to identify fuel being smuggled across Nigeria’s borders.
He said Nigeria should focus on stopping the theft and cross-border movement of fuel rather than imposing high energy costs on its citizens because of difficulties policing the borders.
Duke blamed Nigeria’s economic difficulties largely on low productivity, arguing that the country’s economy had failed to expand sufficiently in relation to its population.
He compared the average federal budget under former President Shehu Shagari between 1979 and 1983, which he put at about $25bn, with Nigeria’s present spending, saying that despite the increase in population from about 76 million in the mid-1970s to roughly 230 million today, the economy had not expanded proportionately.
He linked poverty and unemployment to the growth of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism, arguing that criminal activities could become difficult to abandon when they offer far greater financial rewards than legitimate employment.
Duke also blamed Nigeria’s security challenges partly on what he described as an outdated security structure, calling for decentralised policing and the establishment of state and local government police under strict guidelines.
He said intelligence gathering should be central to policing, arguing that local personnel were better positioned to gather information about security threats in their communities.
On infrastructure, Duke criticised the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as a project that should not take priority over more pressing needs such as education, poverty reduction and existing roads.
He questioned the economic value of constructing a highway along the coast without adequately considering the communities it would serve, the opportunity cost and the condition of existing routes, including the East-West Highway.
Duke said the project could be considered when Nigeria could afford it, but argued that current resources should first address what he described as more urgent national problems.
On his presidential ambition, Duke defended his decision to contest on the PRP platform despite its limited national structure, saying his immediate objective was to participate in the national political debate and offer an alternative direction.
He said younger Nigerians were losing hope because political discussions were not sufficiently focused on their prospects and the future.
Duke also called for opposition forces to work together, noting that political platforms such as the ADC and NDC had emerged or gained prominence within a relatively short period.
Explaining why he would not join former governors of the 1999–2007 class in supporting President Bola Tinubu, Duke said his personal relationship with the President did not prevent political disagreement.
“President Tinubu is my friend. But I disagree with the direction he’s taking Nigeria,” he said, adding that members of the same family could hold different political views.
Duke said such differences were part of democracy and that politicians did not have to belong to the same political party.
He is seeking the presidency on the PRP platform in the 2027 election. His political relationship with Tinubu dates back to their tenure as governors between 1999 and 2007, which Duke has described as belonging to the same political generation.
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