What will you do to create jobs and ensure merit, not connections, determines opportunity for young Nigerians?

On jobs for our young graduates, I know too many of you have ideas, energy and ambition but cannot get the capital to turn them into something real. I am committed to expanding transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people working in the creative economy, including through a dedicated financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Alongside this, our schools must change. We cannot keep educating you for an economy that no longer exists. I want greater emphasis placed on science, technology, vocational education, agriculture, digital skills, critical thinking and entrepreneurship, so that what you learn is useful where you need it. And no brilliant Nigerian child should be denied university, polytechnic or college simply because his or her parents are poor.

On ending the hold of political connections and godfathers, this is at the heart of what I want to build. I want a Nigeria where competence triumphs over connections, where character matters more than political patronage, and where hard work is rewarded. Your surname, your political connection, or your ability to find a godfather should not determine whether a good idea, or a good effort, gets the opportunity to succeed.

On a poor but qualified young Nigerian rising through merit, this is the Nigeria I am working to build: one where every young person can succeed through hard work, where every young Nigerian has a fair opportunity to succeed, and where no brilliant child is shut out of higher education because of poverty. I believe in your intelligence, your creativity and your resilience, and I believe that opportunity must be built on merit, not on who you know.

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Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2083634560516903378 2026-08-01 ›

Where competence matters more than connections. Where character matters more than political patronage. Where hard work is rewarded, and every young Nigerian has a fair opportunity to succeed. My dear young people, The greatest tragedy before us is not that Nigerian youths lack talent. The greatest tragedy is that Nigeria has lacked leadership worthy of your talent. That is why this election is different. This election is not merely about changing a government. It is about changing the direction of our country. It is about restoring hope. It is about rebuilding confidence. It is about creating opportunities. It is about ensuring that no young Nigerian feels compelled to abandon the country of his birth in search of dignity elsewhere. I believe in the Nigerian youth. I believe in your intelligence. I believe in your creativity. I believe in your resilience. And I believe that if we work together, there is no obstacle too great for our nation to overcome.

Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2083634560516903378 2026-08-01 ›

Where competence triumphs over connections. Where justice triumphs over injustice. Where hope triumphs over despair. Where every child can dream without fear. Where every young person can succeed through hard work. Where every citizen can once again believe that government exists to serve the people. The task before us is great. But the Nigerian spirit is greater. The road ahead may not be easy. But no great nation was ever built by people who surrendered to despair. My dear young Nigerians, the future is not something we inherit. The future is something we build. Let history record that when Nigeria called, your generation answered. Let history remember that when democracy was tested, your generation defended it. Let history remember that when hope seemed to fade, your generation restored it. And let history remember that together, we rebuilt the promise of Nigeria. Nigeria does not need another miracle.

Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2087552029358956958 2026-08-12 ›

Nigeria cannot continue asking competent young people to wait outside the room while their future is being decided inside it. MY COVENANT WITH YOU Our partnership must also mean something practical in the lives of young Nigerians. It begins with jobs and enterprise. Nigeria has millions of young people with ideas, energy and ambition, but too many cannot access the capital required to turn those ideas into businesses. We will expand transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people working in the creative economy. Your surname, political connection or ability to find a godfather should not determine whether a good idea receives an opportunity to succeed. Education must also change. We cannot continue educating young Nigerians for an economy that no longer exists. Our schools must place greater emphasis on science, technology, vocational education, agriculture, digital skills, critical thinking and entrepreneurship. And no brilliant Nigerian child should be denied tertiary education simply because his or her parents are poor.

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2093800029618061431 2026-08-29 ›

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. The cost-of-living crisis has stripped millions of Nigerians of purchasing power, weakened small businesses and pushed too many young people farther away from jobs, capital and economic independence. My commitment is to change that. We will restore purchasing power, reduce the cost of living and deliberately expand opportunities for young Nigerians, including through a $10 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Our objective is simple: move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity. It was against this background that I was pleased to receive, this afternoon, a nationwide delegation of N-Power beneficiaries who came to declare their support for my presidential candidacy.

p. 1 CANDIDATE-APPROVED ANSWER Candidate-approved answer 2026-10-10 ›

My plan for you, Nigeria's young people, starts with this: you should not be asked to wait outside the room while your future is being decided inside it. It begins with jobs and enterprise. I know Nigeria has millions of young people with ideas, energy and ambition, but too many cannot get the capital to turn those ideas into businesses. I am determined to expand transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people working in the creative economy. Your surname, your political connections, or whether you can find a godfather, should not decide whether your idea gets a chance to succeed. As part of this, we will put in place a financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs, so that young Nigerians can move from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity

p. 1 CANDIDATE-APPROVED ANSWER Candidate-approved answer 2026-10-16 ›

On jobs, skills and enterprise, I see millions of young Nigerians with ideas, energy and ambition, but too many cannot access the capital to turn those ideas into businesses. I am committed to expanding transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people in the creative economy, so that your surname, political connection or ability to find a godfather does not determine whether your idea gets a chance to succeed. This includes a major financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Our objective is to move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity. On education, I want to change how we prepare young Nigerians for work. Our schools must place greater emphasis on science, technology, vocational education, agriculture, digital skills, critical thinking and entrepreneurship. No brilliant Nigerian child should be denied university, polytechnic or college education simply because his or her parents are poor. I see young Nigerians as the greatest national asset Nigeria has ever produced, innovators, farmers, engineers, doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs and artisans, and I believe no President can rebuild Nigeria without their active participation.

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What will you do to create jobs and ensure merit, not connections, determines opportunity for young Nigerians?

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