The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, promised to create up to three million jobs annually if elected president in the 2019 general election.
Atiku made the pledge in a policy document released on Sunday, November 11, 2018, outlining his proposed programmes and priorities for Nigeria and setting out a seven-year timeline for implementing his campaign promises.
Addressing the unemployment situation, the former vice president cited figures in the policy document which, according to him, showed that close to 16 million Nigerians were unemployed, representing an increase of about nine million from 2014.
He noted that more than two million people entered the labour force annually, while the share of unemployed people in the labour force had risen significantly between 2010 and 2017.
Atiku also highlighted unemployment among women and young people, stressing the need to create economic opportunities as part of efforts to address social and security challenges.
As part of his proposed solution, Atiku said an administration led by him would introduce a new national Entrepreneurship Development and Job Creation Programme designed to be more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable.
His proposals included targeting up to three million self-employment and wage-paying opportunities in the private sector every year.
The programme, he said, would cover different categories of young people, including graduates, early school leavers and young Nigerians who were neither in school nor employment or training.
He also proposed the establishment of incubation centres, clusters and industrial or commercial hubs to provide marketplaces and support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small and medium-sized businesses.
Another proposal was to reposition and streamline the activities of existing federal and state government job-creation agencies.
Beyond employment, the policy document identified infrastructure development, human capital development and poverty reduction as other major areas of priority.
Atiku also stated that his proposed administration would seek to lift 50 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2025.
On the petroleum sector, he proposed the privatisation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the sale of the country’s four government-owned refineries.
His infrastructure proposals included the construction of 5,000 kilometres of roads and 5,000 kilometres of modern railway lines.
A statement issued by the Atiku Campaign Organisation ahead of the policy document’s release said the decision to begin his presidential campaign with a policy presentation was intended to demonstrate his commitment to an issue-based campaign.
According to the campaign organisation, the document was designed to enable Nigerians to examine Atiku’s proposed policies and participate in discussions about how the country could be rebuilt.
The statement said the campaign’s central message was that Nigerians could work together to build a more prosperous and secure future.
It added that the policy document covered job creation, security, business development, power and water infrastructure, agriculture, education and the empowerment of women.
The campaign organisation said the document was also intended to serve as a basis for dialogue with Nigerians as Atiku travelled across the country to engage stakeholders, including farmers, business owners, workers, students and families.
The proposals contained in the document represented Atiku’s campaign agenda ahead of the 2019 presidential election.
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