Buhari’s Contribution to National Development

Boss Mustapha

Lecture Delivered by Boss Mustapha, CFR on President Muhammadu Buhari’s Contribution to National Development at the Public Presentation of ‘According to the President’ Written by Garba Shehu on July 9, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja

1.0. Introduction

The theme of this lecture, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Contribution to National Development, is both a reflection on leadership and an exploration of the institutions, policies, and principles that defined his presidency. While we are gathered to present Garba Shehu’s ‘According to the President,’ this lecture does not adopt the book’s title but rather complements it by situating the administration’s advancement agenda within the broader architecture of governance and reform.

Let me begin with a moment that shaped the trajectory of the 2015 Buhari presidential campaign. In the lead-up to the 2015 general elections, a small but consequential meeting was held to discuss key appointments into the emerging structure of the Buhari Presidential Campaign. It was at that meeting that Garba Shehu’s name was tabled as a prospective Director of Media and Publicity. The decision was based on merit. He brought a long-established reputation in political communication, editorial leadership, and public engagement. More importantly, he was considered as someone who could speak with clarity while remaining anchored in institutional discipline. From that moment, Mr. Shehu became an integral part of the political infrastructure that eventually shaped the Buhari administration. His transition from campaign spokesperson to Presidential Media Adviser was a logical progression. It signalled continuity of message and fidelity to the original orientation of the presidency.

Unarguably, President Buhari’s public life was marked not just by official positions but by a strong connection with many Nigerians. His reputation for integrity, discipline, and national commitment earned him lasting support, especially in the northern parts of the country and later, the South. This support was built on earned social trust rather than political expediency, and it gave his administration the room to pursue difficult reforms in areas like security and the economy with a degree of public backing that was unusual in Nigerian political history. This lecture has been structured into three major parts, the Introduction, a Reflection of Evolutionary and Exemplary Leadership, President Buhari’s Legacy (2015 – 2023) and Conclusion.

2.0. President Buhari’s Contribution to National Development: A Reflection of Evolutionary and Exemplary Leadership

This lecture on President Buhari’s Contribution to National Development, reflects a lifetime of committed public service. His career has been shaped by national duty: from his early military service to his tenure as Military Governor of the North-Eastern State, and thereafter, Borno State, where he carried out foundational reforms during the post-civil war recovery, and later as Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources. Between 1976 and 1978, he established the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), initiated key pipeline and depot infrastructure, and approved contracts for the Kaduna and Warri refineries, laying the foundation for Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.

As Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Special Trust Fund (PTF), he oversaw one of Nigeria’s most impactful delivery-focused programmes, directing resources toward roads, education, primary healthcare, and essential medicines during a time of fiscal constraint. These roles reinforced his belief in infrastructure-led growth and disciplined public service.

His service as Nigeria’s Head of State and, decades afterwards, as democratically elected President, provided continuity to his earlier reformist instincts. In his dual role as President and Minister of Petroleum Resources, he supervised major energy sector reforms, culminating in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021. He also advanced gas infrastructure through flagship projects such as the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano pipeline and the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline, under his “Decade of Gas” strategy. Beyond formal office, he chaired the Board of Trustees of the Katsina State Development Foundation (Gidauniyar Jihar Katsina) for nearly two decades, focusing on grassroots advancement and empowerment.

These sectoral contributions in energy, infrastructure, health, and education reflect a consistent commitment to Nigeria’s advancement priorities and provide context for understanding the values and logic that later shaped his presidency. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory. In early 2013, as the leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway “new PDP” group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sherif, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC). That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history. President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough.

No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality. Rather than disrupt governance, he allowed the constitutional order to function as intended, delegating authority to the Vice President and demonstrating a rare commitment to institutional stability. While some perceived a slowing of momentum, these periods revealed his preference for rule-based delegation and his confidence in the systems his administration had built. It was leadership by structure.

As Secretary to the Government of the Federation, I had the responsibility of coordinating the machinery of government under his leadership. This role offered direct exposure to the administration’s internal logic, inter-ministerial coordination, and institutional reforms. Today’s lecture, therefore, is not a catalogue of achievements. It is a reflection on how the Buhari administration approached governance, its reform logic, institutional priorities, and long-term intent. No single lecture can exhaustively unpack the complexity of those years. Rather, this presentation offers a considered overview of key interventions and the thinking behind them. The period in view was one of recalibration, characterised by policy consistency and a deliberate effort to rebuild state capacity, outcomes that merit rigorous policy and historical scrutiny. The aim here is to situate that administration within the larger arc of Nigeria’s developmental journey, focusing on what was done, how it was done, and why it matters.

2.1. President Buhari’s Legacy (May 2015 – May 2023)

When President Buhari assumed office in May 2015, Nigeria was facing severe macroeconomic and security challenges. Crude oil prices had collapsed, revenues had declined sharply, and public institutions struggled with credibility. Boko Haram insurgency had escalated in the Northeast, testing federal unity. The administration responded by prioritising fiscal discipline, capital spending, and institutional reforms to restore stability and rebuild trust.

The Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) served as a short-term stabilisation tool, followed by the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017–2020), which laid out a strategy for infrastructure, industrialisation, and public sector reform. The ERGP boosted investor confidence with clear policy targets. In 2021, the administration launched the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), aiming to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within ten years. Chaired by the Vice President and supported by governors, ministers, and the private sector, the NPRGS adopted a multi-pronged strategy, including macroeconomic stability, industrialisation, redistributive programmes, and public service reform.

Ladies and gentlemen, the administration’s second term in 2019 marked a shift to evidence-led governance. It established the Policy, Programmes, and Projects Audit Committee (PPPAC) to review first-term outcomes and set new priorities, culminating in the Nine Priority Areas launched in August 2019. These covered macroeconomic stability, food security, energy, infrastructure, industrialisation, human capital, social inclusion, governance, and security.

These priorities informed the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025) and Nigeria Agenda 2050, which introduced long-range planning anchored in demographics, sectoral linkages, and performance benchmarks. Both frameworks emerged from wide consultation across government and development partners.

Infrastructure was central to the Buhari presidency. The administration prioritised transformative legacy projects such as the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abuja–Kaduna–Kano highway, and Warri–Itakpe rail line, each improving mobility, logistics, and regional connectivity. The standard gauge railway from Lagos to Kano was a cornerstone of this effort, envisioned as a federal spine for passenger and freight movement, with completed segments like the Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna lines already in operation.

Within this same period, Nigeria witnessed a transformative scale of federal road infrastructure development. By late 2022, over 3,800 km of new roads were constructed, complemented by 2,499 km of Sukuk-funded highways and 15,961 km of routine maintenance. Between 2016 and 2022, the administration also completed 8,353 km of road construction and rehabilitated 896 km of major federal routes, efforts anchored in funding mechanisms such as the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, Sukuk bonds, and strategic partnerships. Even in April 2023, a final tranche of 11 federal roads spanning 737 km received funding, reflecting a sustained commitment to national connectivity and economic resilience. These projects were financed through a mix of sovereign funds, bilateral loans, and innovative mechanisms like the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund.

In the energy sector, key projects included the Zungeru Hydroelectric Plant, the Katsina Windfarm, and the Siemens-led Presidential Power Initiative aimed at addressing transmission constraints. Notably, President Buhari signed constitutional amendments in March 2023 that allowed states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity, setting the legal foundation for subsequent decentralisation under the Electricity Act passed after his tenure.

Ladies and gentlemen, the COVID-19 pandemic posed one of Nigeria’s most complex governance challenges. Under President Buhari, the response was guided by science, fiscal intervention, and coordination. As ECOWAS Champion on COVID-19, he worked with regional leaders on border protocols, preparedness, and equitable vaccine access. His steady diplomacy positioned Nigeria as a regional anchor during a time of uncertainty.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, which I chaired, provided high-level oversight, eliminating bureaucratic delays and ensuring federal-subnational alignment. Testing infrastructure expanded swiftly, with over 200 labs activated. The NCDC led on surveillance and diagnostics, supported by real-time data and public health communication that maintained citizen trust.

Social interventions included cash transfers to over a million vulnerable households, digital health worker training, and targeted MSME relief. CACOVID mobilised critical supplies and logistics. Despite global disruptions, Nigeria avoided institutional breakdown, demonstrating the value of preparedness, collaboration, and disciplined leadership. The national strategy has since been recognised as a model for effective, whole-of-government pandemic response.

In its drive for inclusive development, the Buhari administration institutionalised the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Nigeria’s most extensive poverty response framework. It featured four core interventions: daily school meals for nearly 10 million pupils; N-Power, engaging over 500,000 graduates in placements and digital training; Conditional Cash Transfers to 1.6 million households; and the National Social Register, expanded to over 12 million individuals. These laid the groundwork for a more targeted, scalable social protection system aligned with global standards.

Agriculture was central to the administration’s inclusive growth strategy. Through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, over 4.8 million smallholder farmers accessed credit, inputs, and extension services, boosting the production of rice, maize, and sorghum. The initiative also accelerated agro-industrialisation. From under 10 in 2015, integrated rice mills rose to over 60 by 2022, with a 3 million metric tonne processing capacity, alongside hundreds of small-scale mills. The Presidential Fertiliser Initiative revived blending plants and enhanced nationwide fertiliser access. These interventions helped transform rural economies and advance food self-sufficiency. With rising domestic rice output and improved off-taker and mechanisation systems, agriculture became both a food security anchor and a rural development engine.

Institutionally, the administration pursued reforms through Executive Orders and legislative action. Executive Orders 013 and 014 introduced performance contracting and institutionalised the presidential transition process. The latter stands out as a pioneering move; it repositioned transitions from ceremonial handovers to structured, rule-based processes that reinforce national stability and continuity in governance. In doing so, it created a new standard of what transitions can and should be: instruments of shared goals and institutional trust.

Major legislative milestones included the Petroleum Industry Act (2021), CAMA 2020, and four Finance Acts aligning fiscal policy with economic strategy. The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) oversaw over 100 reforms that improved Nigeria’s ease-of-doing-business rankings. In the digital economy, broadband coverage expanded to nearly all LGAs, while the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy provided a coherent framework. NIN–SIM integration strengthened identity systems, and local content policies supported indigenous tech enterprises, making ICT the most consistent contributor to GDP growth.

Under President Buhari, Nigeria experienced an unprecedented surge in military modernisation, with asset acquisition reaching its peak across the armed forces. In April 2018, he approved a US$1 billion intervention fund for military equipment, and by 2022, the defence budget had grown to N1.2 trillion, with significant capital directed toward modern platforms and logistics. This represented the most intense military buildup since the return to democracy, reflecting an urgent response to security challenges and a disciplined strategy for operational renewal.

Education reforms under President Buhari focused on expanding access and strengthening foundational systems. Revitalised UBEC funding enhanced infrastructure and enrolment at the basic level, while large-scale teacher training was driven by the National Teachers’ Institute. The Safe Schools Initiative received targeted support in conflict-affected states. The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, though a social investment, had educational spillovers—improving nutrition, attendance, and retention in public primary schools. At the tertiary level, TETFund significantly boosted infrastructure, research, and capacity-building. New federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education were established across zones, laying the foundation for a more decentralised and inclusive education ecosystem.

Nigeria’s foreign policy under President Buhari combined pragmatic diplomacy with a clear ambition to reassert the country’s leadership across Africa and on the global stage. His tenure saw strategic appointments that elevated Nigeria’s visibility in multilateral institutions. Most notably, Nigeria successfully led the re-election campaign for Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as President of the African Development Bank, despite international headwinds and a contested review process. Under his leadership (2015–2025), the Bank’s authorised capital expanded from $93 billion to $318 billion, directly impacting over 565 million lives through transformative investments in infrastructure, energy, and food systems.

In 2015, Professor Benedict Oramah assumed office as President of Afreximbank, growing the bank’s portfolio from under $5 billion to over $37 billion by 2024, and strengthening Africa’s trade financing architecture. Amina J. Mohammed, who served as Minister of Environment under Buhari, was appointed UN Deputy Secretary-General in 2017 and reappointed in 2022, advancing Nigeria’s global standing in development and climate diplomacy.

This assertive posture continued with the election of Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad-Bande as President of the 74th United Nations General Assembly in 2019, the first Nigerian to hold the role since Joseph Garba. In 2021, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first African and the first woman to lead the World Trade Organisation. Her tenure has been defined by institutional reform and renewed confidence, underscored by her early reappointment in November 2024.

Beyond these high-level appointments, Nigeria deepened multilateral engagement with ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN, while forging bilateral partnerships to strengthen infrastructure financing, technology transfer, and regional trade. Under Buhari’s leadership, Nigeria’s diplomacy became more deliberate, reinforcing the country’s role as a continental power and a credible actor in global affairs. In the same vein, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement in July 2019 and ratified it in November 2020, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to regional economic integration. This marked a strategic step in advancing Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s economic integration agenda.

The Buhari administration’s imprint lies not only in the reforms it pursued but in the systems it established to deliver and sustain impact. Sectoral efforts, in nutrition, social protection, agriculture, infrastructure, and digital innovation, were not stand-alone interventions, but components of a broader agenda to embed resilience, inclusion, and state visibility. What emerged was a government increasingly oriented toward results and institutional strengthening, with a clear intent to reach historically underserved populations and reposition public service delivery as a driver of national renewal. These achievements were not accidental; they were enabled by a deliberate shift toward coordinated planning, policy alignment, and institutional reforms across public finance, procurement, and oil governance. Together, they offer lessons on governance continuity, execution logic, and long-termism in the face of structural challenges.

Commendably, several of these reforms and initiatives have continued under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, particularly in electricity federalism, local government financial autonomy, and performance management. In tax administration, Buhari advanced harmonisation through FIRS reforms, the TIN system, and streamlined registration, expanding the federal tax base. Building on this, the Tinubu government has introduced further legislation to consolidate revenue authorities and strengthen coordination across federal and state levels, aimed at improving efficiency, reducing evasion, and advancing fiscal sustainability.

In local governance, the Buhari administration-initiated efforts toward fiscal autonomy through Executive Order 10 (2020), aimed at enabling direct allocations to local governments in line with constitutional provisions. Though the order was later struck down by the courts, it set a precedent that gained legal force in 2024 when the Supreme Court upheld the right of local governments to receive allocations directly from the Federation Account.

Under the Tinubu administration, institutional reforms have also continued. The Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) evolved into the Central Results Delivery and Coordination Unit (CRDCU), retaining its mandate to track and support executive priorities. Another notable legacy of the Buhari administration is the reform of the federal civil service through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP). Launched in 2017 and updated for 2021–2025, the FCSSIP introduced structured reforms in digitalisation, talent management, and performance measurement. These reforms aimed to build a more responsive and accountable civil service aligned with federal progress goals. The Tinubu administration has also sustained this reform track, reinforcing a shift toward institutionalised governance where reform is driven not by personalities but by a shared commitment to national renewal under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It is indeed heart-warming to note that Nigeria has recently gazetted the operational procedures for trade under the AfCFTA. This concrete step towards implementation reinforces the foundational work laid during the Buhari administration and reflects the Tinubu administration’s continued commitment to regional economic integration, industrial competitiveness, and export diversification.

3.0. Conclusion

Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, President Muhammadu Buhari was not drawn to the theatre of power, but to its quiet burden of responsibility. He governed with duty over drama, conviction over applause. He will be remembered not only for performance but for principles, for anchoring governance in systems that endure. He led with a sense of time greater than his tenure, knowing that national progress is not a sprint, nor a solitary marathon, but a relay across generations.

Each administration inherits unfinished work and must carry it forward with clarity and conviction. In this sense, Buhari’s leadership was not about finality, but about setting things in motion; reforms that could outlast him, institutions that could withstand political tides, and a temperament that reminded the state of its quiet obligations to its citizens.

The book According to the President offers us not a portrait of power, but a vantage point into how a man, entrusted with the weight of a nation, bore it with measured intent. It is a record of words, yes, but beneath those words lie choices, silences, struggles, and an enduring faith in Nigeria’s promise.

And so, as we reflect today, let it not be merely to remember, but to recommit. To see governance not as the triumph of will, but as the careful tending of a shared future. Buhari did his bit. The baton has passed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and history, as always, waits not for perfection, but for perseverance.

I thank you all for listening,

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

•Boss Mustapha, CFR is former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (2015 – 2023)

References

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Federal Government of Nigeria. (2017). Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), 2017–2020. Ministry of Budget and National Planning. https://nationalplanning.gov.ng/ergp/

Federal Government of Nigeria. (2021). National Development Plan 2021–2025. Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Federal Inland Revenue Service. (2022). Annual report: Taxpayer expansion and compliance overview. https://www.firs.gov.ng/resources/reports

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Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. (2022). Guidelines for state electricity markets following constitutional amendment.

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