Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar recently unveiled his much-touted policy document in an online broadcast to the nation.
Mr Abubakar’s proposal, unveiled on November 19, covered issues ranging from jobs, national security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and other critical sectors of the economy.
The Peoples Democratic Party presidential nominee — who opponents, especially Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, have accused of lacking policy substance — appeared even-keeled and undistracted while highlighting a handful of specific policy ideas in the live Facebook and Twitter broadcast.
Mr Abubakar’s campaign office said besides presenting his vision directly to the electorate, the former vice president aimed to set a standard for future presidential electioneering, saying the hitherto culture of political leaders failing to come up with concrete plans on how they will approach governance had sent many floundering when confronted with challenges upon assumption of office.
But while the proposals may appear fresh to many, the ideas have actually been on Mr Abubakar’s campaign platform for more than four years, mostly drawn from his restructuring Nigerian mindset. He uploaded key elements of the policy document on his website while pursuing the presidential ticket of the then-opposition All Progressives Congress in 2014.
The updated plan unveiled to Nigerians last month has been on the main opposition presidential candidate’s back-burner for months, as a host of policy experts his campaign engaged worked to fine-tune it for a broader yet compact version that removed all references to the APC.
Still, critics argue the overhauled plan is still woefully lacking in specifics, saying it came up short on how its enumerated ambitions would be funded.
Mr Abubakar, nonetheless, argues his plan is exactly what Nigeria needs to get out of its current socio-economic malaise, and charged Nigerians to hold him up to his promises if he is elected president at the general elections next February.
Below is a list Mr Abubakar’s policy priorities as gleaned from his official campaign documents.
JOBS
Mr Abubakar’s top selling point has been his achievement in jobs creation. He has touted himself as a man grounded in economic issues because he has built profitable businesses in food and beverage, agriculture, logistics and education.
According to his policy document, Mr Abubakar plans to create three million jobs annually.
Potential sectors where most of the jobs would be created include private sector through informal sector, entrepreneurial, school to jobs and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), information and communications technology and special entrepreneurship pathways.
His government plans to launch a new, more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable entrepreneurship development and job creation programmes, target the creation of up to three million self and wage-paying employment opportunities in the private sector annually. This would target all categories of youth, including graduates, early school leavers, as well as the massive numbers of uneducated youth who are currently not in schools for employment or training, create incubation centres, clusters and industrial-commercial hubs. This would provide a marketplace for MSMEs and SMPs as well as champion the repositioning and streamlining of the activities of the existing federal and state government job creation agencies.
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
Mr Abubakar plans to provide skill-acquisition opportunities and enterprise development for job and wealth creation rather than direct cash distribution of the Buhari administration, improve citizens’ access to basic infrastructure services – water, sanitation, power, education and health care, remove all forms of discrimination against the marginalized and vulnerable citizens and enhance their access to education and income-generating activities.
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