Promises of job creation dominate election campaigns in Nigeria

Presidential election campaigns in Nigeria have been dominated by promises to provide more jobs as the unemployment rate has risen above 20 percent this year.

Saturday's vote will be the sixth election in 20 years since Nigeria returned to democracy after decades of military rule.
AFP

Saturday's vote will be the sixth election in 20 years since Nigeria returned to democracy after decades of military rule.

Young Nigerians who represent a majority of the country's electorate hope that a new president will make good on their election campaign promises of creating more jobs. 

More than half of the 84 million registered voters in Nigeria are between the ages of 18 and 35, and many of them are unemployed. 

Nigeria's Bureau of statistics says the unemployment rate has risen above 20 percent this year.

"For the past one year now I have not applied, I have not done anything about jobs, so when this new government is coming in now, I think there is going to be a difference. I am ready to dust my CV and go search for job again," says Daniel Ilosi.

TRT World's Ajeck Mangut reports from Abuja, Nigeria, ahead of Saturday's poll.

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