Shettima: Atiku’s Hygiene Training Unfit for Nigeria’s Modern Economy
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday, 26 October 2026, said former Vice President Atiku
Abubakar lacks the skill set to govern Nigeria’s modern economy, citing his training in sanitation at the
Kano School of Hygiene.
Shettima made the remark while speaking at the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.
He criticised Atiku’s proposal to restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, describing it as a
move that would push the country back into poverty for political convenience.
“I dare to put forward that his skill set, he was trained in sanitation at the Kano School of Hygiene, so he
doesn’t have the skill set to govern a modern economy. That’s the painful truth,” Shettima said.
He further questioned Atiku’s understanding of environmental sanitation, stating: “Even his decisions in
environmental sanitation, I do not think he can make a distinction between flu and even Ebola.”
Shettima urged Nigerians to carefully assess the proposals and qualifications of political leaders before
making decisions.
He argued that anyone with elementary knowledge of arithmetic could collect taxes, but that did not
make them economic experts, and cautioned against listening to what he called “voodoo economists.”
The Vice President’s comments come amid intensifying political activity ahead of the 2027 general
elections, with Atiku as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Similar remarks about Atiku’s background at the Kano School of Hygiene had earlier been made by
Shettima on 14 October, 2026 during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
