Muhammadu Buhari’s passing on July 13, 2025, marked the end of a defining chapter in Nigeria’s political history. As a former military ruler and two-term civilian president, Buhari’s leadership journey spanned decades of national transformation, turbulence, and debate. Nigerians are reflecting on the imprint he left, one shaped by his austere style, strong convictions, and the complex legacy of his time in office.
BusinessDay July 2025 TalkExchange poll has shed light on how Nigerians view the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, assessing his performance across key areas such as corruption, the economy, security, democratic governance, and overall legacy.
When asked to rate Buhari’s effectiveness in combating corruption, only 3.9% described it as highly effective, while 11.8% considered it moderately effective. Nearly one-third (29.4%) said it was minimally effective, and a majority of 54.9% rated it as not effective at all.
On the state of the economy under Buhari, 5.9% of respondents saw significant improvement, and 23.5% acknowledged some progress. However, 9.8% observed no notable change, while 60.8% believed economic conditions worsened during his tenure.
Regarding security and counter-terrorism policies, 5.9% rated them as strong and impactful, and 29.4% felt they were somewhat effective. In contrast, 35.3% found them largely ineffective, while 29.4% said the security situation declined.
On whether Buhari upheld democratic principles such as the rule of law and civil liberties, 11.8% believed he always upheld them, and 33.3% said he mostly upheld them. Another 33.3% said he rarely upheld these principles, while 21.6% felt he consistently undermined them.
When asked to summarise their personal view of Buhari’s legacy, 9.8% saw it as mostly positive, 35.3% described it as mixed, and 54.9% considered it mostly negative.
Defining features of His Presidency
In the open-ended section of the poll, respondents expressed varied and often strongly worded views on what they believe will define Buhari’s presidency in history.
Some focused on ethnic and security issues, with one saying, “It appears his bias towards his Fulani ethnic group emboldened the killer herdsmen, leaving the country with problems being grappled with till today.” Another described “the advent of Fulani herdsmen and farmers versus herders genocides” as a defining feature.
Several mentioned infrastructure projects, including “the Abuja to Kaduna and Lagos to Ibadan railway lines commissioned during his administration,” “capital projects like Zungeru power generating station,” and “introducing the Treasury Single Account and Second Niger Bridge.”
Economic challenges were also highlighted. One respondent noted, “During his tenure, a lot of businesses crashed and so many people died of hunger.” Another described “how he messed up the FX situation through ruinous policies that made access and supply worse.”
Some referenced the 20 October 2020 Lekki Toll Gate incident, with a respondent stating, “Many Nigerians were murdered in cold blood by the Nigerian Army under his watch.”
A number of comments focused on governance style and decision-making. One participant said, “He had good intentions but was very loose in holding his ministers accountable,” while another observed, “He gave blanket trust to people around him and had no specific metric of assessing their performance.”
There were also accusations of nepotism. One respondent remarked, “His administration ushered in nepotism at a level never seen before in this country,” while another described him as “one who encouraged and legalised nepotism in government, and it’s now being copied by current leaders.”
For some, Buhari’s tenure was a disappointment. One said, “Buhari’s coming was received with high hopes, but his stay was sterile and hopeless, the 2023 election was the most divisive and corrupt in the country’s history.” Another summarised: “He shouldn’t have contested the election in the first place. He would have been the best president we never had.”
Impact on Nigeria’s national identity and global standing
Respondents were divided on whether Buhari’s leadership had a positive or negative impact on Nigeria’s image at home and abroad.
A few saw some positives. One remarked, “Being seen as an honest fellow helped in positive global outlook,” while another said, “He was respected in the global community, which led to the appointments of our sons and daughters as heads of global and continental agencies.”
However, most respondents described the impact as negative. One said, “Buhari’s leadership further placed a dent on the ever-decreasing Nigeria’s national identity… he is ranked amongst the worst presidents that ever got into office in Nigeria.” Another stated, “Nigeria has dropped drastically in the global community; so many youths are ashamed to be called Nigerian.”
Others pointed to economic and governance issues, with one commenting, “It made the country lose foreign direct investments. A nation that was the fastest growing started lagging,” and another adding, “Corruption became more rampant and the economy performed worse, and therefore the international community had little regard for the country.”
Some linked the decline to leadership style: “His leadership style set Nigerians and Nigeria back locally and internationally. By his ineffective leadership, Nigeria was mostly absent on the global scene,” one respondent said. Another observed, “Buhari’s leadership gave birth to a new culture where Nigerian leaders do not value engaging the people anymore, there is a deep disconnect between the desire to deliver good leadership and the desire to run for political office and win.”
Several comments also noted ethnic divisions. One respondent said, “His leadership style brought a divisive Nigeria to the core with one-sided tribal sentiment that sees Nigerians ‘japa-ing’ from the country.” Another concluded, “Buhari took the country 30 years back.”
