Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, has pledged to reduce Nigeria's unemployment rate to 4% within two years if elected. He made the promise at the SDP national convention in Bauchi, where he emerged as the party's consensus candidate. Adebayo outlined a socio-economic recovery agenda that includes over 500 programmes targeting unemployment, insecurity, healthcare, education and industrial decay.
Poverty reduction is central to his agenda, with Adebayo claiming that poverty will fall to 2% within the first 18 months of his administration. He plans to achieve this through a nationwide jobs and public works initiative focused on infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, and small-scale enterprises. The programme aims to engage millions of Nigerians in productive sectors of the economy.
On healthcare, Adebayo promised universal access to affordable services linked to the National Identification Number (NIN). Every Nigerian, he said, would receive four free medical screenings annually under the SDP plan. "Your NIN will also become your health insurance number," he stated, emphasizing preventive care as a key component of his health policy.
In education, he pledged free and compulsory schooling from elementary to tertiary levels. He added that education would not end until graduates secure employment. "Until you get a job, you have not graduated," he said, describing a system where education and job creation are directly connected.
Adebayo also plans to revive defunct industries such as Ajaokuta Steel Company, refineries, paper mills and textile factories. He said industrial expansion across all states—including the restoration of cement, carpentry and manufacturing hubs—would reduce import dependence and boost local economies. He criticised the current government for failing to translate subsidy savings into tangible improvements, citing corruption and policy inconsistency as drivers of economic hardship.
Adebayo promises to cut unemployment to 4% in two years while also ensuring no graduate is considered fully educated until employed—a timeline that does not account for how long job searches may take. The pledge to revive Ajaokuta Steel and other moribund industries has been made by multiple candidates over decades without success. Nigerians named in these promises, particularly fresh graduates and industrial workers, have heard similar plans before. The gap between campaign rhetoric and deliverable timelines remains unaddressed.
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