African Democratic Congress spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi has questioned Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele’s educational background for managing Nigeria’s economy, arguing that economic policymaking requires specialised training beyond general intelligence or professional experience. Abdullahi made the statement on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s *Politics Today*, where he discussed the Federal Government’s announcement of a 30-day […]
African Democratic Congress spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi has questioned Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele’s educational background for managing Nigeria’s economy, arguing that economic policymaking requires specialised training beyond general intelligence or professional experience.
Abdullahi made the statement on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s *Politics Today*, where he discussed the Federal Government’s announcement of a 30-day petrol price discount at selected Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited filling stations.
The ADC spokesperson said subsidy decisions were influenced by economic ideology and argued that the country needed officials whose training matched the demands of managing a complex economy.
“I’m not saying he’s incompetent, but I think he doesn’t have the right education,” Abdullahi said, explaining that his concern centred on Oyedele’s academic background rather than a personal disagreement with the minister.
He further argued that accountants and economists may approach economic questions differently, just as classical economists and development economists may assess policy from different perspectives. He maintained that the government should entrust economic management to people trained specifically for the responsibility.
Abdullahi was careful to distinguish his criticism from a personal attack, saying he respected Oyedele and considered him intelligent. He insisted, however, that his respect for the minister did not change his view about the kind of expertise required to formulate and implement economic policies.
Oyedele holds an HND in Accountancy and Finance from Yaba College of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. He has also undertaken executive education programmes at institutions including the London School of Economics, Yale University, Gordon Institute of Business Science and Harvard Kennedy School.
The finance minister previously spent 22 years working at PricewaterhouseCoopers, rising to become its first fiscal policy partner and Africa tax leader before his appointment to the Federal Government. His career has included work in taxation and fiscal policy, areas closely connected to government revenue and public finance.
The dispute is unfolding amid debate over the government’s plan to reduce petrol prices for 30 days at NNPCL-operated stations. Oyedele said transporters would be prioritised and described the arrangement as a cost-based sale of petrol, rather than a fuel subsidy.
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president and ADC presidential candidate, accused Tinubu’s administration of adopting his proposal for targeted support to ease fuel costs after previously rejecting it as unworkable. Abdullahi’s comments add another dimension to the political disagreement, focusing attention on the relationship between academic training, professional experience and economic decision-making.