Kí ni ẹ ó ṣe láti yanjú ìṣòro àìríṣẹ́ṣe àwọn ọ̀dọ́ àti láti fòpin sí títà àwọn ipò ìjọba?

This latest move raises fundamental questions: Why was this appointment rushed and smuggled into the public space without consultation, stakeholder engagement, or National Assembly oversight? What value does Xpress Payments add that existing TSA channels do not already provide? Who truly benefits from this? Nigeria or an entrenched political network? This is not reform. This is state capture masquerading as digital innovation. Let me be clear: Nigeria does not need more middlemen between citizens and their government revenue. What we need is greater transparency, stronger institutions, and a tax system free from political capture. I therefore call for the following: 1. Immediate suspension of the Xpress Payments appointment pending a public inquiry; 2. Full disclosure of the contractual terms, beneficiaries, fee structures, and selection criteria; 3. A comprehensive audit of TSA operations to prevent the creeping privatisation of revenue collection;

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.

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.

8. Promote regional cooperation for faster development. We will drive continuous and practical collaboration across states - aligning policies, pooling resources, and executing joint infrastructure and economic projects at scale to accelerate growth and unlock shared regional advantages. ● Enable states to jointly invest in regional infrastructure such as power generation, roads, and railway systems. ● Coordinate states into integrated agricultural belts with shared processing, storage, and export systems. ● Develop joint tourism circuits across states with shared infrastructure, branding, and international promotion. 27

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

Yes, I believe in accountable leadership, and I have never shied away from declaring my assets. I have said plainly that I am never one to be found wanting when it comes to probity, and I have publicly disclosed significant business dealings before, including making public the sale of my shares in Integrated Logistic Services Nigeria Limited (Intels) to Orlean Investment Group in January 2021. That is the standard I hold myself to, and it is the standard I will carry with me into office.

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 jobs for our youth, here is my covenant with you. It starts 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 connections, or whether you can find a godfather, should not decide whether your idea gets a chance. As part of this, we will put in place a financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs, so you can move from dependence to enterprise, from unemployment to productivity. Education also has to change to back this up. Our schools must place greater emphasis on science, technology, vocational education, agriculture, digital skills, critical thinking and entrepreneurship, so no brilliant Nigerian child is denied the chance to learn simply because his or her parents are poor.

I hear what you are describing, and I will not pretend it is a small thing. My plan is clear: end insecurity, bring down the cost of living, create opportunities for every Nigerian, and uphold the rule of law. I have done this kind of work before. In government I led the reforms that returned loss-making government companies to private hands and opened our economy to private investment. I served in the Customs Service from 1969 to 1986, and I have built businesses that today employ thousands of Nigerians. I know how jobs are created, and I bring that experience to this task. I have told Nigeria's young people plainly that they do not need a government that teaches them how to survive hardship. They need a government that gives them the opportunity to prosper. That is the standard I am holding myself to. To the working men and women of this country, including those struggling to find work, I have said you deserve leadership that spends the nation's resources on your welfare, not on opaque mega-projects that serve the well-connected. You deserve a government that measures its success by your living standards, not by the size of its spending, the growth of its debt, or the breadth of its patronage networks.

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 jobs for graduates, I know too many young Nigerians are searching endlessly for work, and that cannot continue. My plan 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. 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.

It …" • Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2098441590184264064, 2026-09-11 (Article on X) ""There is a clear difference between helping a producer reduce costs and forcing that producer to sell at a loss. "The Tinubu Presidency knows this. If it pr…" • Thread by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2059769890932940875, 2026-05-27 (Thread on X) "I must state at this juncture that this is not the time to celebrate.