By Biodun Busari
Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, has stated that if he wins the 2023 presidential election, he will disburse $10 billion as an Economic Stimulus Fund within the first 100 days in office.
He stated that he would do so to encourage private sector infrastructure investments and to prioritise aid to agriculture, manufacturing, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Atiku made the announcement on social media on Tuesday evening, following his speech at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos state.
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“Within the first 100 days in office, I will establish an Economic Stimulus Fund with an initial investment capacity of around US$10 billion to prioritise support to MSMEs across all economic sectors,” Atiku stated.
The former Vice President said for Nigeria to improve the nation’s economy, “Larger volume of non-oil exports will earn more foreign exchange for Nigeria, improve our foreign reserves, and help in stabilizing the Naira. All of these will contribute to growth in GDP.”
He also stated that “Poverty reduction shall be the centrepiece of our economic development agenda and economic performance shall henceforth be measured by the number of jobs created and the number of people lifted out of poverty.
“Finally, focus on non-debt financing by promoting a private sector-led infrastructure development fund for the financing and delivery of key infrastructure projects.”
