Atiku Abubakar proposes $100bn startup fund and disputes subsidy costs

Former Vice President and presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has outlined economic proposals aimed at addressing Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis. He pledged to introduce a $100 billion financing programme for entrepreneurs and start-ups to transition young Nigerians from unemployment to productivity and economic independence.

In response to the Presidency’s claims that his proposed targeted subsidy intervention would cost N22 trillion, Abubakar dismissed the figure as “arithmetic vandalism.” He clarified that his policy is not a return to an unlimited import-subsidy regime, but rather a targeted, transparent, and audited model tied to domestic production. He further criticized the current administration for failing to provide public reconciliation for nearly N30 trillion in Federation revenues and savings.