When President Bola Tinubu made “subsidy is gone” pronouncement on May 29, Nigerians braced for misery. Weeks on, the suffering has become more profound than anticipated. Transport fares have doubled, prices of foodstuffs are shooting up by the day, and inflation still hurts. Even though the government insists that removal of subsidy is necessary to free funds for development, the Nigerian populace asks: development for who, and at what cost?

For decades, the subsidy system was a legacy of Nigeria’s governance failure — a leaking drain pipe with fraud. Removing it was inevitable. Reform without a buffer is risky, though. Now, millions are stuck in wages not rising and prices soaring high, with no sign of softening other than constant government promises of “palliatives.”

Saving alone is not sufficient; Nigerians must notice the savings in real benefits — better electricity supply, good road networks, functional refineries, and affordable healthcare. Citizens are patient, but only up to a point. Without transparency and apparent accountability, subsidy elimination may be just another government measure that enriches the few at the expense of making most people poorer.

Nigeria’s rulers must understand that economic reform detached from human experience is dangerous. The actual question is not whether the removal of the subsidy was right or not, but whether this administration possesses the discipline, empathy, and capacity to ensure that the long-term gains are more than the agonies today.

Let promises at last be backed up by action. Nigerians deserve more than empty promises; Nigerians deserve relief, dignity, and a country where sacrifice is not asked only of the poor.