Dennis Nnamdi Agbo, who represents Igbo-Eze North/Udenu in Nigeria's House of Representatives, has pointed to Enugu State as an example of how rising government revenue since the 2023 removal of the petrol subsidy can be converted into projects citizens actually feel, according to a report by Guardian Nigeria. Agbo made the case in a public lecture at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, titled "Three Years of Post-Subsidy Removal: Evaluating the Socio-Economic Effects of Nigeria's Deregulated Downstream Sector," arguing that the real test of the reform is not the size of the savings but whether they show up in infrastructure, transportation, education, healthcare and jobs.
Agbo cited figures showing Enugu's receipts from the Federation Account climbing from roughly N117.50 billion in 2023 to N255.67 billion in 2024 and N259.59 billion in 2025, while the state's internally generated revenue rose from about N37.49 billion in 2023 to N180.50 billion in 2024 and N407.76 billion in 2025. He framed that growth as evidence that subnational governments can turn a painful national reform into visible gains when the additional funds are directed toward public services rather than absorbed elsewhere, a distinction he said should guide how other states and the federal government are judged on the subsidy removal's legacy.