Atiku Unveils $100bn Support for Young Entrepreneurs, Vows to Restore Purchasing Power, Reduce Cost of Living

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to restore Nigerians’ purchasing power, reduce the rising cost of living and create more economic opportunities for young people if elected president 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 young Nigerians needed more than government programmes designed to help them cope with economic hardship, arguing that the priority should be to create an economy where they can prosper independently.

According to him, the prolonged cost-of-living crisis has eroded the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians, weakened small businesses and made it increasingly difficult for young people to access jobs, capital and opportunities for economic independence.

“My commitment is to change that,” Atiku said.

He pledged that his administration would focus on restoring purchasing power, reducing the cost of living and deliberately expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.

As part of his proposed economic programme, Atiku said he would establish a $100 billion financing programme aimed at supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs.

“Our objective is simple: move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity,” he said.

Atiku also criticised what he described as an overreliance on palliatives to address the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, saying the country needed to build a productive economy capable of creating sustainable jobs and rewarding enterprise.

He thanked the N-Power beneficiaries for their support and said Nigeria could not secure its future by simply “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 presidential hopeful framed the 2027 election as a choice between maintaining what he described as an economy that is shrinking opportunities and creating a new economic direction centred on 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.

He added: “We will make Nigeria affordable again.”

The former vice president’s latest promises come amid widespread concerns over the cost of food, transportation, housing and other essential goods and services, with economic hardship remaining a major issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku is expected to campaign heavily on economic recovery, job creation and increased access to capital as he seeks to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election.