Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has disclosed plans to teach one million Nigerian youngsters in employable skills, promising to make job creation, entrepreneurship and economic expansion his priority if elected president in 2027.
Makinde, who made this known at the APM Southeast town hall meeting in Enugu yesterday, said that his campaign platform would be unveiled on the 4th of November 2026 after consulting with interested parties throughout the six geopolitical zones of the country Daily Independent reported.
He said the manifesto will reflect the issues and aspirations made by Nigerians during the party’s town hall meetings, emphasising that the policies of his administration would be influenced by the needs of citizens and not crafted in isolation.
“We don’t just make policies out of thin air. “We listen to our people and listen to what they want to see and incorporate their expectations into our agenda,” he said.
Makinde said the campaign team had visited the Northeast, Northwest, North-Central, South-South and Southwest before coming to the Southeast.
He said the planned Reset Nigeria agenda would be built on four fundamental pillars which include resetting the economy, revamping the security architecture, overhauling the education system and resetting the socio-political environment.
He said the program will focus on fixing the trust imbalance between government and residents, noting that sincerity and honesty in governance could solve a large chunk of the country’s difficulties.
Makinde narrated his experience in Oyo State where he said public confidence in the government had improved, adding that he intended to emulate the feat at the national level if elected president.
The APM candidate called on Nigerians to eschew religious and ethnic divisiveness, saying that hunger, poverty and insecurity afflicted residents irrespective of their background.
He said it was important to create economic possibilities for young people to take Nigerians from poverty to wealth.
As part of the employment drive, Makinde said his campaign has teamed with Skill Reset Nigeria through SkillReset.com to teach one million young Nigerians in skills that would enhance their chances of getting a job.
He urged young people to register for the initiative and take advantage of the promised training possibilities.
“We want to train a million young people in these skills,” he stated.
Makinde also assured that his administration would tackle the difficulties facing manufacturers and entrepreneurs, particularly the high cost of borrowing and the dearth of long-term funding.
The South-East’s reputation for commerce and industry was being held back by interest rates of roughly 25 per cent and the dominance of short-term credit facilities, which were hampering businesses’ potential to expand production, he said.
The presidential aspirant claimed his administration would offer a better business climate, encourage entrepreneurship and open wider chances for sustainable job development.
He spoke in Lagos at the 2023 edition of the Nigeria Economic Outlook. He said Nigeria must shift away from a strategy that relies primarily on the distribution of federal allocations, and focus on developing productive enterprises that can generate wealth and employment.
Makinde also asked the federal government to explain why it continues to borrow despite purported growth in foreign reserves and tax collections, pushing for more transparency on the country’s economic situation.
He advised supporters not to be discouraged with the destruction of campaign posters and billboards in the next election, adding that they should protect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and engage in the electioneering process.
“Let them take down our posters. Let them tear down our billboards. But please, retain your Permanent Voter Cards and be prepared to deploy them for voting,\” he stressed.
The APM candidate also addressed fears that the Southeast was solidly behind the immediate past Labour Party presidential nominee, Peter Obi, adding that his campaign had consciously travelled to the region to sell its policies to the people.
He appealed to locals to judge the party based on its message and solutions, and not based on ethnic or regional concerns.
Makinde added that although President Bola Tinubu was on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, Nigerians could pray for the country at home, and charged political leaders to mix prayers with honesty and responsible government.
The APM vice presidential candidate, Lawal Musa Daura, on his part said the party was resolved to address the hunger, deprivation, insecurity and other concerns facing the country.
Daura described himself and Makinde as “resetters” who tried to restructure the system, not to make promises that would not meet the expectations of Nigerians.
“The party’s 16-point agenda is to give a holistic response to the country’s problems,” he stated. “Nigeria needs leadership that has shown competence, patriotism and commitment to the public welfare.
Democracy cannot exist if politics is militarised and security is politicised, he said.
Daura also asked Nigerians to embrace the planned reforms of the party, saying the issues of the country, though huge, could be surmounted through purposeful leadership.
Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, APM national chairman, also spoke, calling for a change in the country’s political direction, saying economic growth depended on productivity in the private sector, stable energy supply and efficient transportation.
“Insecurity, including kidnapping, banditry and insurgency, is linked to deeper socio-economic problems that need to be addressed holistically,” he said.
The chairman urged President Tinubu to step down from the 2027 presidential contest and back Makinde, saying it would provide the APM candidate the chance to finish the remaining four years of the projected presidential slot in the South.
He also urged for more young involvement in administration, saying that Makinde is a youthful and politically tested leader, who has the capacity to comprehend the difficulties of everyday Nigerians.
The chairman also spoke of the party’s commitment to women’s welfare, empowerment and greater representation in politics and urged women to participate actively in the party’s proposed political reforms.
The Enugu gathering was part of APM’s nationwide consultations ahead of the presentation of its manifesto which Makinde claimed will detail the party’s proposed remedies to Nigeria’s economic, security and social concerns.
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