The Federal Government has clarified that the proposed five percent fuel surcharge is not scheduled to take effect in January 2026, countering widespread assumptions about the timeline for its implementation.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, made this known during an appearance on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, on Tuesday.
He explained that although the surcharge is part of newly passed tax legislation, its commencement is subject to a ministerial order that must be officially gazetted.
“There is nothing that says this tax will start 1st January 2026. People need to get that right,” Oyedele stated. “Nobody will just spontaneously introduce the tax and create problems for the system.”
He revealed that the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) had initially attempted to begin collection of the levy immediately after the law was enacted. However, the effort was halted since the law clearly provides that only a ministerial directive can authorise its enforcement.
The clarification comes in the wake of public backlash, particularly from the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which has threatened to embark on strike action if the surcharge is implemented.
Responding to the union’s stance, Oyedele criticised their reaction and pointed out that the surcharge was not a new initiative under the current administration.
“TUC should have complained and protested when this was introduced in 2007,” he said. “I don’t know what they want the government to remove, because it hasn’t been imposed, and there is no regulation that says it would be imposed from January.”
