Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s presidential candidate, promised on Monday to reform the government and revive the economy if elected president the following year.

In a Jalingo interview with journalists, Kwankwaso also promised to put education first.

In order to boost the economy, the former governor of Kano State said his administration would foster an environment that would allow small businesses to flourish.

He said:-

“We will prioritise education, tackle insecurity and create an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive.

“Through these measures, we will be able to check growing inflation and by doing so, create wealth for the people. We have done that before in Kano and we will do it for Nigeria.

“We will boost local production and check the importation of goods and services that can be sourced locally. These and many more are the issues putting pressure on our currency.

“You wake up every day to discover that the value of foreign currency the previous day was better than today. This is what a responsible government must address; otherwise, it will be difficult to see an end to the economic crisis that we are in today.”

On his stance about restructuring the country, Kwankwaso said he would work closely with the National Assembly and stakeholders across communities, to start restructuring from the grassroots upward.

He hinted that his blueprint, which would soon be presented to the public, was a complete departure from the present situation in the country, with a focus on the people and community participation in governance, adding that Nigeria must retrace her steps to get it right.