Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged a $100 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs as part of a broader plan to shift young Nigerians from unemployment to economic self-reliance, arguing that government’s role is to help citizens prosper rather than merely endure hardship.
The presidential hopeful made the commitment on Saturday while receiving a nationwide delegation of N-Power beneficiaries who visited him to declare their support for his candidacy.
Speaking to the group, Atiku said the cost-of-living crisis had eroded the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians, weakened small businesses, and widened the gap between young people and access to jobs, capital and economic independence.
He said reversing this trend would be central to his administration’s agenda.
“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,” he told the delegation, according to a statement posted on his X handle.
He outlined plans to restore purchasing power, lower the cost of living, and expand opportunities for youth, with the proposed $100 billion fund positioned as a flagship intervention to support entrepreneurship and start-up growth across the country.
Atiku described his overarching goal as moving young Nigerians “from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity.”
While thanking the N-Power beneficiaries for their endorsement, he cautioned against an economic model built on handouts.
“Nigeria cannot build its future by distributing poverty,” he said, insisting that the country must instead build an economy that creates jobs, rewards enterprise and gives every young person a fair shot at success.
He framed the coming political contest as a choice between two economic paths, one that continues to shrink opportunities and another that restores hope, dignity and prosperity for citizens.
“We will make Nigeria affordable again,” Atiku said, closing his remarks to the delegation.
