Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to implement a $100 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs if elected President of Nigeria in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge while receiving a nationwide delegation of N-Power beneficiaries who visited him to declare their support for his presidential candidacy.
The former Vice President said Nigeria’s young people needed more than government policies that merely teach them how to cope with economic hardship, stressing that they required an enabling environment to prosper.
According to him, the current cost-of-living crisis has significantly reduced the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians, weakened small businesses and made access to jobs, capital and economic independence more difficult for young people.
“My commitment is to change that,” Atiku said.
He promised that his administration would focus on restoring purchasing power, reducing the cost of living and deliberately expanding economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
He said the proposed $100 billion financing programme would support start-ups and entrepreneurs, with the broader objective of moving young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise and from unemployment to productivity.
“Our objective is simple: move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity,” he said.
Atiku expressed appreciation to the N-Power beneficiaries for their confidence in his candidacy, saying their support reinforced the need for a fundamental change in the country’s economic direction.
He argued that Nigeria could not secure a prosperous future by relying primarily on palliatives and the distribution of relief, insisting that the country must instead build an economy capable of creating sustainable jobs and rewarding enterprise.
“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.
The ADC candidate described the 2027 election as a choice between continuing with an economy that, in his assessment, was shrinking opportunities and building one that would restore hope, dignity and prosperity.
“We will make Nigeria affordable again,” Atiku declared.
