U.S. expresses support for fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence McCulley has said that his country’s government is in support of the planned removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria.

The ambassador made the statement in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Monday during a visit to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr Emeka Wogu.

Agenda

The visit was to enable the ministry sensitise the US embassy to the challenges facing the Nigerian Government with regards to job creation and to seek ways to collaborate in solving them.

A statement signed by the Assistant Director (Press) of the Ministry, Samuel Olowookere, quotes the US ambassador as saying that the creation of jobs through diversification of the economy was welcome.

According to the statement McCulley said: “We will look for ways to partner with you to bring in United States investors to invest in this area to create jobs as Nigeria is central to President Obama’s National Export Initiative to export goods and machinery to Nigeria which would benefit Nigerian economy”.

Wogu said although unemployment was not peculiar to Nigeria, “job creation and employment generation is at the fore-front of the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.”

“Unemployment is a global thing and the United States government is also battling it the same way we are tackling this problem in Nigeria,’’ Wogu added.

Removal of fuel subsidy

He said the removal of fuel subsidy would create revenue for capital projects which would result in job creation.

Wogu said that “Government is desirous to remove fuel subsidy and the revenue that will accrue to Nigerian Government in that regard will go into agriculture, education and health among other safety nets.’’

NAN/Adekusibe