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Claim: A user on X shares an old video purportedly showing Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), denying the payment of fuel subsidies.
Verdict: The claim that the video shows the NNPCL boss, Mele Kyari, recently denying fuel subsidy payment is misleading. The video is old and has been online since October 2023.
Full Text
Recently, reports (here, and here) have surfaced alleging that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu directed the NNPCL to utilise the federation’s dividends to fund fuel subsidies. Fuel subsidies are intended to help lower the cost of petrol for Nigerians.
On his inauguration day, May 29, 2023, President Tinubu announced an end to the fuel subsidy initiative. This decision has drawn significant criticism, particularly regarding its adverse effects on the economy and citizens’ hardships. In response to nationwide protests calling for the reinstatement of subsidies, Tinubu reaffirmed his stance, describing the subsidy removal as a painful yet necessary decision.
In light of recent claims that President Tinubu had authorised NNPCL to subsidise fuel payments after the company expressed difficulties in maintaining a stable gasoline supply, former presidential candidate Abubakar Atiku criticised the president on his verified X account (@atiku) on August 19, 2024, questioning the alleged reintroduction of fuel subsidies.
Amid these speculations, a video has surfaced online showing Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, denying the presence of any fuel subsidy. The video was shared by an X user A.Ayofe (@abdullahayofel), who captioned it:
“VIDEO: There’s no subsidy whatsoever, disregard fake news – Mele Kyari.”
As of August 22, 2024, the post had accumulated over 100,000 views, 580 likes, and around 300 reposts.
Another user, Abuja Online (@abj_online), reposted the video with a similar caption, garnering more than 33,000 views, 178 likes, and over 100 reposts. The video with the same caption was also shared on Facebook here, here, and here.
While reacting to the viral clip, Adeniyi Kolade (@nykolade) said, “If you claim there is no subsidy in Nigeria and considering the NNPC’s recent revelations, you either don’t understand simple English or you’re being misleading,” suggesting he believes the video is recent.
On the other hand, Onifade Dolapo (@DolapoEmail) commented, “Old Video. Why are you like this?”
Another user, Usama (@Usama_AbuZayn), stated, “Anything from this account is misleading.” Additionally, user Aliyu (@AliyuYakubuH) remarked, “This was on 9th October 2023. I&E windows were around N770. This is not a recent video. It is misleading.”
Considering the varying views of commenters questioning the veracity and recency of this video, DUBAWA decided to fact-check.
Verification
DUBAWA’s finding reveals that the video has been online since October 2023. Through cross-referencing, we independently verified that reputable news outlets, including Channels TV, originally aired a longer version of the footage on October 9, 2023.
Their report confirmed the context of Kyari’s statements regarding the fuel subsidy. The video features Kyari addressing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he categorically denied the existence of a fuel subsidy. In his statement, Kyari said:
“There is no subsidy whatsoever. We’re recovering our full cost from the products that we import. We sell to the market; we understand why the marketers cannot import. We hope that they do this very quickly. These are some of the interventions the government is doing. There is no subsidy.”
According to the Channels report, this denial was made in response to concerns about a potential increase in petrol prices, following alarms raised by oil marketers about rising landing costs.
Also, an analysis of social media engagement revealed that the video was initially shared with the correct date, highlighting that it was not a recent statement but an old clip being used out of context. A review of the engagement metrics showed that while the video has gained traction recently, its misleading interpretation was challenged by other users who provided context (here, here, and here).
Conclusion
The video of Mele Kyari denying fuel subsidies is not a recent development but a statement from October 2023. The claim that it represents a new denial of subsidy payments is misleading. The video’s resurfacing amidst speculation about subsidies does not reflect a recent policy change or statement.
The researcher produced this fact-check as part of the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, which is in partnership with Bridge Radio 98.7FM, Asaba, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
