Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has promised to prioritise job creation, youth empowerment and economic opportunities, including a proposed $100 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs, if elected President.
Atiku said Nigerian youths did not need a government that merely helped them survive economic hardship but one that created opportunities for them to prosper.
He said the country’s rising cost-of-living crisis had eroded the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians, weakened small businesses and pushed many young people further away from employment, access to capital and economic independence.
“Nigeria’s young people do not need a government that teaches them how to survive hardship. They need a government that gives them the opportunity to prosper,” Atiku said.
According to him, his commitment is to reverse the economic hardship confronting Nigerians by restoring purchasing power, reducing the cost of living and deliberately expanding opportunities for young people.
He said this would include the establishment of a $100 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs as part of efforts to drive enterprise and productivity.
“Our objective is simple: move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity,” he said.
Atiku stated this after receiving a nationwide delegation of N-Power beneficiaries who visited him to declare their support for his presidential ambition.
The former vice-president said he appreciated the confidence reposed in him by the beneficiaries and reiterated his position that Nigeria must move away from policies that merely provide temporary relief without addressing the underlying causes of poverty and unemployment.
“Nigeria cannot build its future by distributing poverty. We must build an economy that creates jobs, rewards enterprise and gives every young Nigerian a fair chance to succeed,” he said.
He said the country was faced with a choice between continuing with an economy that continued to shrink opportunities for citizens and building one capable of restoring hope, dignity and prosperity.
“The choice before us is between continuing with an economy that shrinks opportunities and building one that restores hope, dignity and prosperity,” Atiku said.
The former vice-president maintained that his economic agenda would focus on making life more affordable for Nigerians while creating an environment that enables businesses and young entrepreneurs to thrive.
“We will make Nigeria affordable again,” he added.
