The Adamawa State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, Abdurahman Haske, has identified agriculture as a key sector for boosting the state’s economy and creating jobs for its teeming youth population.
Speaking at a dinner he hosted for journalists in Yola, the state capital, on Wednesday, Haske said mechanised agriculture would help transform the economic fortunes of young people and increase the state’s revenue base for accelerated development.
He said his seven-point agenda was designed to address challenges facing youths, women and older people, whom he described as vulnerable groups affected by poor economic management.
Unveiling the agenda, Haske said it included “Agriculture and Agro Industry: Building a ₦300bn export-oriented economy, creating one million jobs, and establishing a ₦200bn agricultural guarantee fund.”
On development and infrastructure, he proposed improving road networks, with a target of rehabilitating 25 kilometres of roads annually in each local government area, alongside upgrading schools and other public facilities.
Under social development, he promised to expand social support programmes, including health insurance coverage targeting one million residents.
The candidate also pledged to promote youth participation in governance, leadership and economic programmes as part of his commitment to meaningful youth inclusion.
On governance, he promised a transparent, citizen-focused administration that would bridge gender, ethnic and religious differences.
His wealth creation and economic empowerment plan, he said, would support entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as initiatives to empower women and young people.
The final pillar of the agenda focuses on security, although the details of the proposed measures were not fully provided in the statement.
Haske said he was not motivated to join politics by personal gain but by concern over the hardship faced by residents of the state.
He assured the people that his administration would provide social protection services to safeguard and promote the dignity of all Adamawa residents.
He also urged journalists to uphold the ethics of their profession and help protect democracy from politicians driven by greed.
“You are the soldiers to protect our democracy. Without you, we are in trouble. Make sure that honesty and fairness are your watchwords,” he said.
Haske commended Governor Ahmadu Fintiri for his administration’s infrastructure development but said his own government would adopt a different approach to addressing the state’s challenges.