The death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s second president to rule the country as a military head of state and as civilian president, stirred a spectrum of emotions, from mourning to criticism of the legacy he left behind.
Buhari will go down in history as the president who keenly-contested four consecutive times, for the seat at Aso Rock, before eventually clinching the position. The former president’s peculiar governance style, often perceived by Nigerians as slow, earned him the nickname ‘Baba Go Slow,’ reports The Guardian.
Although his corpse will soon be laid to rest in his hometown of Daura in Katsina State, his name will forever be etched in the hearts of Nigerians who experienced and lived through his bitter-sweet eight-year administration that was fraught with his many unfavourable policies that impacted the lives of many Nigerians.
Here are eight significant things Nigerians will remember Buhari for:
#EndSARS
In the second year of Buhari’s second tenure as president, Nigerian youths protested against extrajudicial killings by the Nigerian Police Force, particularly the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. It started off as an online campaign and later grew into a full-blown protest across cities in the country, including Lagos.
On the night of October 20, 2020, Nigerian soldiers opened fire on peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, killing and injuring many. Nigerians pointed fingers at the Buhari-led administration for ordering the soldiers to open fire on the unarmed protesters, leading to the deaths, but the government denied the killings.
A judicial panel later revealed that there were 11 confirmed deaths. Testimonies from doctors also revealed that there were over 96 gunshot-related deaths.
Twitter ban
In June 2021, Buhari imposed a ban on Twitter (now X) in Nigeria after the social media platform deleted a tweet where he threatened to treat Nigerians “misbehaving” in “the language they understand”, citing the civil war experience.
Many Nigerians saw the tweet as inciting violence, especially since the President seemed to be referencing the war, which caused millions of deaths.
The Twitter ban denied millions of Nigerians and businesses access to it. The ban was eventually lifted on January 13, 2022.
Naira redesign
In 2022, Buhari approved the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plan to redesign notes of N200, N500, and N1000 notes to curb inflation, reduce counterfeiting, and tackle issues of cash hoarding and illicit financial flows in the country.
With banks having limited or no cash, the policy imposed hardship on Nigerians who paid exorbitant fees as charges to withdraw their money from point of sale (POS) agents across Nigeria.
The impact culminated in riots and destruction of bank facilities in Lagos, Ogun, Delta, Rivers, and Osun amid cash scarcity, a hike in food prices, and transportation costs.
ASUU strikes
Under Buhari, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on multiple industrial actions no fewer than five times, cumulatively for more than 24 months.
The industrial actions were disruptive as campuses were shut, university students remained at home, and their academic years were extended. Lecturers decried poor funding, unpaid allowances, and non-implementation of agreements, and called for university autonomy, revitalization, and payments of allowances.
Cryptocurrency ban
In February 2021, Buhari directed the CBN to impose a ban on cryptocurrency, which served as an economic lifeline for many Nigerian youths at the time.
The CBN directed banks and financial institutions to close accounts associated with cryptocurrency trading and prohibited them from facilitating such transactions.
The primary reasons cited for this action included concerns over money laundering, terrorism financing, and the lack of consumer protection in the cryptocurrency space.
Lazy Nigerian youths
In a country where about 70% of the population is below the age of 30, and youths toil tirelessly day and night to serve the country raising its flag high at home and abroad, Buhari overlooked their struggles, labelling them unproductive and entitled youths who wait on the government to provide them with free amenities.
He made this remark on April 18, 2018, during a Commonwealth Business Forum in London.
He said, “More than 60% of the population is below 30 years old. A lot of them haven’t been to school, and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil-producing country; therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, and education free.”
In response to his remarks, many young Nigerians took to social media, trending #LazyNigerianYouths and distancing themselves from the stereotype Buhari projected on them.
‘Other room’
Former President Buhari was a conservative man who was unafraid to speak about his beliefs, no matter how odd they sounded in public.
Like Nigerian youths, his wife, Aisha Buhari, received a fair share of his insensitive remarks. During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on October 14, 2016, Buhari said his wife belonged to the kitchen and the “other room.
“I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen, my living room, and the other room,” he said.
Before that press conference, his wife had told the BBC in an interview that she may not back him if he contests for a re-election.
Border closure
President Buhari’s land border closure in August 2019 had significant economic repercussions, particularly on food security and the cost of living. The move, aimed at curbing smuggling and boosting local production, led to sharp increases in the prices of basic food items like rice, poultry, and onions.
Markets in border towns like Badagry recorded serious shortages and price surges, exacerbating inflation and deepening the hardship faced by many Nigerians.
On the positive side, the closure encouraged local agricultural production and reduced dependency on imports. Rice millers, poultry farmers, and maize growers witnessed a rise in demand, leading to increased rural farming activity and job creation.
