in Sochi on 24 October 2019 The economy averaged a growth rate of 0.9% since the administration's first term, and as of 2020 unemployment was at an all-time high of 23%, with millions entering poverty. From 2015 onwards, Buhari lost supporters due to his perceived unenergetic personality and contemplative decision making.
Cabinet Buhari's key advisers included: his nephew
Mamman Daura, businessman
Ismaila Isa Funtua, political operator
Baba Gana Kingibe,
Abba Kyari the
Chief of Staff to the President; and from the late stages of his first term,
Boss Mustapha the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Health In May 2016, Buhari cancelled a two-day visit to Lagos to inaugurate projects in the state but he was represented by the Vice-president
Yemi Osinbajo after citing an "ear infection" suspected to be
Ménière's disease. On 6 June, Buhari travelled to the
United Kingdom to seek medical attention. This happened days after the Presidential Spokesman
Femi Adesina was quoted as saying Buhari was "as fit as fiddle" and "hale and hearty", to much discontent and criticism from
political analysts and followers. In February 2017, following what were described as "routine medical check-ups" in the UK, Buhari asked parliament to extend his medical leave to await test results. His office did not give any further details on his health condition nor the expected date of his return. On 8 February, President Buhari personally signed a letter addressed to the
President of the Senate of Nigeria alerting him of a further extension to his annual leave, leaving his vice president in charge. Following an absence of 51 days from office, President Buhari returned to Nigeria. He arrived at
Kaduna Airport in the morning of 10 March. Although information was limited during his stay in London, he was pictured on 9 March meeting the most senior cleric of the world Anglican congregation, Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby. Vice President Yemi Osibanjo remained in charge as acting president, while the President continued to recover in
Abuja. The President missed major official and public appearances just two months following his return to office from England. In the last case, he was absent from the
Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the worker's day event held at the Eagle Square in Abuja on May Day 2017. Speculations about the President's health circulated in the
public sphere in the days following President Buhari's wishes to "
work from home". Some prominent Nigerian figures urged the President to take a long-term medical leave, citing his failure to make any public appearances over a two-week period. President Buhari again left Nigeria for a reported health check-up in London on 7 May 2017. President Buhari returned to Nigeria from his medical leave in the United Kingdom 104 days after leaving, on 19 August 2017. On 8 May, Buhari left Nigeria to London for medical check up, upon arrival from USA; and he returned on Friday 11 May 2018.
Economy Buhari was an attractive choice to many Nigerians because of a perceived incorruptible character. while the passage of the 2016 and 2017 budgets was delayed by infighting. In Buhari's first year in office, Nigeria suffered a decline in commodity prices which triggered an economic recession. To source funds to close shortfall in revenue and fund an expansionary capital budget, Buhari travelled to 20 countries seeking loans. Thereby, expansionary budget allocation to finance infrastructure was pushed back to a further date. In the first year of the administration, the
Naira, the currency of Nigeria, depreciated in the black market leading to a gulf between the official exchange rate and the black-market rate. A resulting shortage in foreign exchange hit various businesses including petroleum marketers. However, the gulf between the official rates and the black market rates opened up the opportunity for well connected individuals to engage in arbitrage, making a mockery of the president's anti-corruption image. , Venezuelan President
Nicolás Maduro and other leaders at the
Third GECF summit in Tehran In 2016, the country's economy declined by 1.6% and in 2017 per capita economic growth was projected to be negligible. Buhari's first tenure as head of state coincided with a decline in oil prices similar to his second stint but his administration did not show dedicated effort to diversify sources of government spending. The 2018 budget signalled an expansionary fiscal policy with funds dedicated to infrastructural projects such as strategic roads, bridges and power plants. Since an upturn in economic growth from the decline of 2016, a slow pace of recovery has the country behind many of its continental neighbours in GDP growth. Unemployment levels remain high and any effort to increase non-oil revenues has not improved while government deficit spending includes a significant portion of its yearly budget dedicated to service debts. Buhari with the support of the
Central Bank chief initiated policies to improve agriculture production through lobbying private banks to lend to the sector and restriction of foreign exchange at official rates for importation of food products that are grown locally. In his second term, the budget minister, Udo Udoma and trade minister, Enemalah, both of whom favoured liberalisation, were not returned. The government continued to operate flexible exchange rates into the second term of the administration despite critics alluding to the exchange rate regime as being susceptible to arbitrage abuses and
round-tripping by cronies of the government. The Program was created to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources to vulnerable populations, including children, youth, and women. There were four programs which aimed to address poverty, unemployment and help increase economic development: • The
N-Power program provided young Nigerians with job training and education, as well as a monthly stipend of 30,000
Nigerian naira (US$83.33). • Npower is a social investment scheme initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari on 8 June 2016 in an attempt to boost youths' employment rate. The scheme was established as a core component of the
National Social Investment program to cushion the skill acquisition training and capacity building in the beneficiaries. • The Conditional Cash Transfer Program (CCTP) directly supported the most vulnerable by providing cash to those in the lowest income group, helping reduce poverty, improve nutrition and self-sustainability, and supporting development through increased consumption. • The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Program (GEEP) is a micro-lending entrepreneurship program targeting farmers, petty traders and market women with a focus. This program provided no-cost loans to its beneficiaries, helping reduce the start-up costs of business ventures in Nigeria. The programs include: TraderMoni,
MarketMoni and FarmerMoni. • The National Home Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSF) attempted to increase school enrolment by providing free meals to schoolchildren, particularly those in poor and food-insecure regions. The program worked with local farmers and aimed to empower women as cooks, building the community and sustaining economic growth from farm to table. The program was previously co-ordinated from the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, until 2019, when the program was moved to the new Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under
Sadiya Umar Farouq. In his 2019 Independence Day Speech, the President attributed the movement to the need to have the programmes institutionalized.
Anti-corruption The
$2 billion arms deal was exposed following the interim report of Buhari's investigations committee on arms procurement under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. The committee report showed extra-budgetary spending to the tune of N643.8 billion and additional spending of about $2.2 billion in the foreign currency component under Goodluck Jonathan's watch. Preliminary investigation suggested that about $2 billion may have been disbursed for the procurement of arms to fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. The investigative report indicated that a total sum of $2.2 billion was inexplicably disbursed into the office of the National Security Adviser in the procurement of arms to fight against insurgency, but was not spent for the purpose for which the money was disbursed. Investigations on this illegal deal led to the arrest of
Sambo Dasuki, the former
National Security Adviser who later mentioned prominent Nigerians involved in the deal. Those who were mentioned and arrested include
Raymond Dokpesi, the Chair Emeritus of
DAAR Communications Plc,
Attahiru Bafarawa, the former Governor of Sokoto State, and
Bashir Yuguda, the former Minister of State for Finance,
Azubuike Ihejirika, the
Chief of Army Staff,
Adesola Nunayon Amosu, the former
Chief of the Air Staff,
Alex Badeh and several other politicians were mentioned. On 21 December 2016, the government's Federal Ministry of Finance announced a whistle-blowing policy with a 2.5%–5% reward. The aim was to obtain relevant data or information regarding: the violation of financial regulations, the mismanagement of public funds and assets, financial malpractice, fraud, and theft. In September 2016, President Buhari came under heavy criticism after a newspaper report found him using
plagiarized speech during the launching of a national re-orientation campaign tagged "Change begins with me". The speech was later found to be lifted from the 2009 inaugural speech of former US President
Barack Obama. The presidency later apologized and said the blunder was caused by "overzealous staff" and "Those responsible" would be sanctioned. However, one week later, a deputy director in the State House linked to the speech was redeployed and the presidency assured the Nigerian public that it had taken steps to avoid a repeat of such an embarrassing occurrence by implementing digital tools that detect
plagiarism. In May 2018, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria's anti-corruption agency, announced that 603 Nigerian figures had been convicted on corruption charges since Buhari took office in 2015. The EFCC also announced that for the first time in Nigeria's history, judges and top military officers including retired service chiefs are being prosecuted for corruption. In December 2019,
Mohammed Bello Adoke, the former Attorney General of the Federation, was extradited to Nigeria to stand trial on corruption charges. In January 2020, however, Transparency International still gave Nigeria a low performance in its corruption perception index. In July 2020, Ibrahim Magu the EFCC chairman was arrested by the
Department of State Services (DSS) over damaging security reports concerning his activities as the Buhari administration's leading anti-corruption figure and alleged financial irregularities. He was later replaced by Mohammed Umar. In December 2020, Former Pension Reform Taskforce head Abdulrasheed Maina, who was arrested in the neighbouring country of
Niger after jumping bail, appeared in an Abuja court on a 12-count charge of fraud and money laundering. Ali Ndume, a senator representing Borno South, was arrested after jumping bail as well.
Security issues Niger Delta Nigeria has the second-largest reserves of crude oil in Africa, reserves largely found in the Niger Delta region of the country. Years of oil production have had a negative impact on farming and fishery through oil spillage. The government initiated Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to help clean up
Ogoniland while other state governors within the region want a similar setup. HYPREP was initiated in 2005 but has been slow to commence remediation works in Ogoniland. The Avengers are waging conflict for greater economic and political autonomy.
Shia Muslims The
Islamic Movement of Nigeria led by Sheikh
Ibrahim Zakzaky is one of the country's leading organizations of Shia Muslims. Nigeria's Muslim population is mainly Sunni while the Shia accounts for very little of the populace. After the movement was accused of an attack against Chief of Army Staff
Tukur Buratai in December 2015, Zakzaky's base was shelled causing hundreds of deaths while Zakzaky was arrested.
Biafra separatists A separatist group, the
Indigenous People of Biafra and led by
Nnamdi Kanu became high-profile in 2015 for advocating independence for a separate nation of
Biafra. Buhari ordered the massacre of unarmed members of the IPOB
Boko Haram Since 2015, the fight against the extremists has taken a new dimension. Internally the groups have splintered into the traditional Boko Haram sect controlled by
Abubakar Shekau and the
Islamic State in West Africa Province controlled by
Abu Musab al-Barnawi. Other groups supported by
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb such as
Ansaru, who were driven from Mali due to the French-led
Operation Serval have surfaced and co-operated with Boko Haram despite being its rival. This was mostly out of necessity, as the two factions could not risk to weaken themselves by fighting each other. In February 2020, over two hundred and fifty Ansaru members were killed in a police raid in
Birnin Gwari. In October 2016, the government negotiated a deal with the terrorist group, Boko Haram which secured the release of 21
Chibok girls. By December 2016, the government had recovered much of the territories previously held by Boko Haram and after the capture of
Sambisa Forest, Buhari announced that Boko Haram has been technically defeated. The insurgency displaced about 2 million people from their homes and the recapture of the towns now present humanitarian challenges in health, education and nutrition. On 6 May 2017, Buhari's government secured a further release of 82 out of 276 girls kidnapped in 2014, in exchange of five Boko Haram leaders. On 7 May 2017, President Buhari met with the 82 released Chibok girls, before departing to London, UK, for a follow-up treatment for an undisclosed illness. Shekau committed suicide after his grouping was
encircled by ISWAP rivals in May 2021. In the months following, hundreds of "repentant" terrorists surrendered to the government, many of whom were allegedly loyal to Shekau.
Herder–farmer violence The
Middle Belt region of Nigeria has been vulnerable to clashes between farmers and cattle herders, two groups trying to secure arable land for grazing or farming and access to water. who migrate to cities ill-prepared to handle the influx of migrants. The conflict between farmers many of whom are largely Christians and herders who are predominantly Muslims has stoked religious tension not helped when the president sent in military troops disarm ethnic Christian militias while critics make allegations of his lukewarm response towards armed cattle herders. The
Abuja-
Kaduna highway has been termed the "highway of kidnapping", due to the rampant atrocities committed by bandits. In February 2020, the Northern Elders Forum, a socio-political organisation, said the administration has failed Nigerians in terms of security. By July 2021, about 45 people a day were kidnapped, largely by bandits for ransom. Other bandits focused on stealing cattle,
camels, and other livestock while some groups attacked and seized control of entire villages and wider territories. The banditry led to fears of collaboration between bandits and Northeastern terrorists with those fears being confirmed in August 2021 when the
Nigeria Immigration Service reported that large groups of
Zamfara-based bandits were travelling to
Borno State for training from
Boko Haram.
National issues Ruga policy The Buhari administration introduced the controversial
Ruga policy (human settlement policy), aimed at
resolving the conflict between nomadic
Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers. The policy, which is currently suspended, would "create reserved communities where herders will live, grow and tend their cattle, produce milk and undertake other activities associated with the cattle business without having to move around in search of grazing land for their cows."
Alleged militarization Buhari faced a lot of criticism in office. In 2019 his government came under widespread criticism over the unfair treatment of US-based Social Activist
Sowore during his trial, despite the court granting him bail. This move was largely condemned, with
Sowore himself stating that Buhari had violated his civic space. In December 2019, the Nigerian newspaper
Punch stated that henceforth they would address Buhari's administration as a "regime" and subsequently address him as "General Buhari" a move that was greeted with mixed receptions on
social media.
COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 Following the outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, Buhari established a Presidential Task Force for the control of the virus in the country. On 23 March, Buhari's chief of staff
Abba Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 sparking fears that Buhari may have been infected, it was later revealed that Buhari tested negative. On 30 March, Buhari announced a two-week lockdown on major cities Abuja, Lagos and Ogun. On 14 October, the presidential task force on COVID-19 warned about a potential second wave "if the guidelines and protocols are not adhered to strictly".
End SARS protests In October 2020, protests against alleged police brutality of a special police unit of the
Nigeria Police Force, the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) erupted in Lagos and other major cities. The
End SARS movement with no centralised leadership beyond the small assembly that organized the initial protests, share similarities with the 2012
Occupy Nigeria movement. On 12 October, a day after demonstrators declared their demands Buhari announced the disbandment of SARS and promised "extensive police reforms". Since independence in 1960, the Nigerian Police Force has been at the forefront of tackling organised crime in Nigeria with the recent spate of banditry, cultism, drug trafficking, fraud and kidnapping drastically affecting its personnel capacity, leaving a vacuum for SARS members to exploit and commit extrajudicial killings. On 13 October
Mohammed Adamu, the
Inspector General of Police, announced the creation of a new unit the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) to take over the duties of SARS. This move did not satisfy most demonstrators, who expected a substantial overhaul of the police structure. On 14 October, the demonstrations continued with at least ten protestors being killed, and violent clashes occurring between pro-SARS and anti-SARS protesters with the elite
Presidential Guard Brigade intervening in the federal capital. On 12 June 2021, Buhari ordered a nationwide deployment of members of the
Nigerian Police Force and that of the Nigerian Army, to prevent planned anti-government protests. The government said it was to forestall the breakdown of law and order that became the norm during the October 2020 EndSARS protests.
Twitter ban After Buhari made a
Twitter post threatening violence against the
Biafra insurgents in southeast Nigeria on 5 June 2021,
Twitter deleted his comments as violations of its
terms of service. Shortly thereafter, the
Nigerian government banned Twitter from the country entirely. They lifted the ban on 13 January 2022, after they said Twitter had agreed to register its operations in Nigeria and pay
tax.
Foreign policy , 23 November 2015. (left), Buhari (center) and Nigerian vice president
Yemi Osinbajo at the State House in Abuja, 27 September 2016. , 2 November 2021 Buhari described the
military crackdown by the
Myanmar Army and police on
Rohingya Muslims as ethnic cleansing and warned of a disaster like the
Rwandan genocide. During a visit to Germany, and standing next to German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, Buhari reiterated "I don't know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room" after his
wife had earlier advised him to step up his leadership. == Post-presidency (2023–2025) ==