Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi has promised to return Nigerian youths to farming and small-scale businesses if elected president in 2027, as part of measures to tackle unemployment and move the economy from consumption to production.
Obi made the pledge on Saturday in Kaduna during an NDC town-hall meeting where he appeared alongside his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to engage supporters and outline their plans for the country.
The former Anambra State governor said his proposed administration would focus on creating productive opportunities for young Nigerians, arguing that unemployment was contributing to some of the social challenges confronting the country.
“We will help the youths to find something to do. We will make sure they go back to farm.
“We will make sure they go back to small businesses. We will support them and tell them the bad effects of drugs,” Obi said.
He said Nigeria needed to move away from borrowing money to fund consumption and instead channel borrowed funds into investments capable of generating jobs and economic activity.
“If you elect us to serve, we will only borrow money for investment,” he said.
“We’re no longer going to borrow money for consumption. We want to move Nigeria from consumption to production. By that, we will create jobs.”
Obi compared Nigeria’s economic situation with that of Indonesia, saying the Southeast Asian country, despite having a larger population, was performing better partly because more of its youths were employed.
“Our population is about 230 million. Indonesia is 280 million. But they are doing better than us because their youths are employed,” he said.
The NDC candidate also linked youth unemployment to the country’s drug problem, arguing that providing young people with productive opportunities would help address some of the social pressures facing them.
He further proposed tougher punishment for drug importers and dealers, saying his administration would seek life imprisonment for those involved in trafficking drugs that harm young Nigerians.
“Nigeria does not have adequate laws for those who are importing drugs,” Obi said.
“If I become president, drugs will fetch life sentence. If you deal in drugs that will kill our youths and everything, you are going to face life imprisonment. We cannot take it.”
Obi also cited figures which he said put drug prevalence in Nigeria at 14 per cent, compared with about five per cent globally, and attributed the situation partly to youth unemployment. The figures were presented as Obi’s claim during the Kaduna engagement.
