In a state where youth unemployment and household economic pressures remain major concerns, the promise of 20,000 jobs within 100 days has emerged as one of the more striking campaign proposals ahead of the Osun governorship election.
For Comrade Yahaya Majeed, the proposal by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Najeem Salam, represents something more significant than a conventional political promise.
He sees it as a potential pathway out of poverty for thousands of families.
Majeed argues that the real value of employment goes beyond the individual who receives a job. A regular salary, he says, can support an entire household, pay school fees, meet medical and other essential expenses, and provide a measure of economic stability that one-off empowerment grants cannot easily deliver.
“If someone employs you, numerous members of your family will benefit from that. This is a way of lifting people out of poverty, not just giving someone money once,” Majeed said.
Beyond One-Off Empowerment
The distinction Majeed draws is central to his argument.
He said Salam’s proposal should not be confused with temporary youth empowerment initiatives such as the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES). Rather, he maintained that the ADC candidate is talking about actual civil service employment.
For Majeed, that difference matters.
An empowerment grant may provide immediate relief, but permanent employment potentially offers years of regular income and greater financial predictability. It can also create a ripple effect within families, particularly in communities where one employed person may be supporting several relatives.
“What Najeem is talking about is real employment,” Majeed said, arguing that such employment could provide a livelihood for decades rather than offering beneficiaries temporary financial assistance.
The proposal, however, also raises questions about implementation, including the state’s wage bill, available vacancies, funding and the administrative capacity required to absorb such a large number of workers within 100 days.
Those questions are likely to form part of the wider debate as the campaign progresses.
The Infrastructure Question
Majeed’s criticism extends beyond employment.
He questioned whether some major infrastructure projects being promoted by politicians should take precedence over programmes aimed directly at improving household incomes.
In particular, he challenged the emphasis on flyovers, asking whether the level of traffic congestion in Osun justified such projects.
“Osun State doesn’t need a flyover. What traffic is in Osun that requires building flyovers?” he asked.
His position reflects a broader question confronting governments across Nigeria: how should scarce public resources be divided between infrastructure, job creation and social welfare?
For Majeed, the answer should begin with the everyday economic realities facing residents.
Measuring Development by Its Impact
He also questioned the political value of highlighting projects outside Osun when residents are looking for development within their own communities.
“Nobody is talking about what road you constructed in Kenya. They don’t even send you because they believe you did that with their tax money,” he said.
The argument is that government achievements should ultimately be assessed by the benefits citizens experience directly.
A new road, bridge or public facility may be visible evidence of development, but employment, income security and improved living standards can have an equally profound impact on households.
This perspective places job creation at the centre of the development conversation.
Youths and the Politics of Opportunity
Osun’s young population makes employment a particularly important campaign issue.
For young people entering an economy where opportunities can be limited, the prospect of secure employment can carry considerable appeal. It is also an issue that transcends political party lines because unemployment affects households regardless of their political affiliations.
Majeed therefore believes Salam’s pledge deserves closer attention from young voters.
He acknowledged that the message may not yet have received the level of attention he believes it deserves, but insisted that its potential impact should not be dismissed.
“Najeem makes sense,” he said.
For him, the attraction is not simply the number — 20,000 jobs — but what those jobs could mean for families over time.
From Campaign Promise to Policy Test
Ultimately, the significance of the 20,000-job pledge will depend on how it could be translated from campaign rhetoric into a workable government programme.
Questions around funding, recruitment procedures, available positions, qualifications and transparency would need clear answers.
But the debate itself highlights an important shift in the political conversation: beyond promises of physical development, voters are increasingly interested in policies that affect their income, employment prospects and household security.
As parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the Osun governorship election, job creation, poverty reduction and infrastructure are likely to remain major battlegrounds.
For Majeed, however, the priority is clear: a government that gives people sustainable opportunities to earn a living may do more to lift families out of poverty than one-off handouts ever could.