Nigeria @66: Tinubu targets factory revival, youth jobs in industrial growth drive

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to put jobs, enterprise and industrial growth at the centre of government policy, saying Nigeria must turn the energy and ambition of its young population into productive work.

Addressing the nation on its 66th Independence anniversary on Thursday, Tinubu said millions of young Nigerians entered adulthood each year and needed opportunities to build livelihoods at home.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that this great demographic strength becomes an engine of production rather than a source of despair,” he said. Blueprint reports

The President said his administration would use gas to power new industries, support businesses seeking to revive factories and expand digital connectivity. It would also invest in skills demanded by employers and help Nigerian firms obtain infrastructure and finance.

“I want to see more Nigerians making things. I want to see more Nigerian farms feeding our cities and supplying our factories,” he said.

“I want to see Nigerian businesses selling Nigerian goods to the whole world.”

The President said his vision also included young Nigerians building major technology companies and creating opportunities for others within the country.

He said that affordable goods alone would not deliver lasting improvement in living standards.

“Prosperity requires more than cheaper goods. It requires productive work,” he said.

The President said the government would seek to reduce the costs faced by producers through better power supply and transport links between farms, factories and markets. Those changes, he said, would help businesses grow while easing prices for consumers.

“Nigeria is a young country,” he said. “Millions of young Nigerians enter adulthood every year with talent, energy and ambition.”