ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has questioned whether Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has the right educational background to manage Nigeria's economy.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the party's national publicity secretary, made the claim on Monday during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, while reacting to the federal government's 30-day fuel price reduction initiative.
"I'm not saying he is incompetent, but I don't think he has the right education," Abdullahi said. "The subsidy issue is essentially an ideological one. An accountant looks at the economy differently from an economist. A classical economist sees it differently from a development economist. We need someone trained in that field."
Oyedele's record shows he holds a Higher National Diploma in Accounting and Finance from Yaba College of Technology and a BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University. He has also completed executive programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University and Harvard Kennedy School. Before his appointment, he spent 22 years at PwC, rising to Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader. He is also a professor at Babcock University.
The dispute comes amid debate over the government's 30-day fuel discount. Oyedele insists the measure is "not a subsidy" but a commercial decision by NNPC Retail to forgo part of its margin, with no public funds involved. Critics disagree. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called it a "panic-driven PR gimmick," asking what happens on day 31.
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