THE presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Dr Rafiu Salau, says he will create two million jobs if elected into office in next month’s election.
Salau made the pledge yesterday while unfolding his programmes in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
To attain such a feat, Salau said his administration would ensure more local content involvement in the exploration and sale of crude oil as well as shipment by local maritime companies.
He said: “First, a minimum of 70 per cent of the exploration of the crude oil in the nation must be done by local companies.
“Whatever profit made by local companies will be invested in the economy of the nation. This will go a long way in increasing the revenue that will be generated in the industry.
“Secondly, he said 70 per cent of the shipment of the crude oil produced in Nigeria shall be assigned to local maritime companies.
Speaking further, the AD presidential hopeful said that a hundred per cent of the petroleum products used locally shall be refined by local refineries, assuring that 50 per cent of refined products in the country would be enough for local consumption while 50 per cent would be exported to countries on demand.
According to him, this strategy whereby value is added to the nation’s crude would create two million jobs and increase revenue from oil.
Salau said the national revenue being spent on the importation of finished oil products and subsidy payment would no longer be spent on consumption, but invested on capital projects that would help grow the economy.
“This will generate more national revenue for decades while the increase in national revenue from the investment of the crude oil income will take the nation to the desired target of being one of the group of 20 most developed nations of the world.
“Nigeria will have 200 billion dollars in foreign reserve before the end of my term in office,’’ he concluded.