What is your plan to replace past youth empowerment programs and ensure lasting economic prosperity?

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 $100 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.

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.

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.

On hardship and jobs, my commitment is to restore purchasing power, reduce the cost of living and deliberately expand opportunities for young Nigerians. This includes a financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs. I will expand transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people working in the creative economy, so that a person's surname, political connection or ability to find a godfather does not determine whether a good idea gets a chance to succeed. I have said our objective is simple: move young Nigerians from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity, and from palliatives to prosperity. On education, I have said schools must place greater emphasis on science, technology, vocational education, agriculture, digital skills, critical thinking and entrepreneurship, and that no brilliant Nigerian child should be denied university, polytechnic or college education simply because their parents are poor.

On graduate unemployment and youth opportunity, I believe in the Nigerian youth, your intelligence, your creativity, and your resilience. This election is about restoring hope, rebuilding confidence, and creating opportunities, so that no young Nigerian feels compelled to abandon the country of his birth in search of dignity elsewhere. Young Nigerians do not need a government that teaches them how to survive hardship. They need a government that gives them the opportunity to prosper. On NYSC, I will prioritize NYSC graduates in recruitment for critical public service roles, including the police, military, and other government institutions, where applicable, and deploy corps members to communities and sectors where their skills are most needed, particularly in education, healthcare, agriculture, and public service delivery. On your second question, about NYSC allowance and minimum wage: I have not set out a figure for raising the NYSC allowance or the minimum wage. What I have said is that I will make participation in NYSC voluntary, allowing young Nigerians to choose pathways that align with their goals and national priorities, with an annual cap on participation to ensure quality and proper deployment.

On reforms to improve education quality and create jobs for young graduates, I will overhaul technical and vocational education and training curricula in partnership with industry leaders so they match real job market requirements. This means establishing modern vocational training hubs across all geopolitical zones, launching dual-apprenticeship programmes, and standardizing national skill certifications. I am also committed to declaring a state of emergency in technical and vocational education, expanding skills training centres and aligning them with industry needs, providing student loans and financing support so young Nigerians can access this training, and integrating vocational training into secondary education to create multiple pathways for learning and employment. Within the first 100 days, I will declare a national emergency on out-of-school children and convene a National Education Summit to develop and implement a clear action plan. Alongside this, I am determined to expand transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people in the creative economy, and to put in place a financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs, so young Nigerians can move from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity.