Muhammadu Buhari being sworn-in as president of Nigeria.
FACTSHEET: Highlights of achievements of the Buhari administration – 2015 – 2023
The presidency says the eight-year tenure of the Buhari administration has yielded unprecedented reforms for Nigeria.
CONTENTS
Legislative Reform
Executive Orders
Infrastructure: Rail, Roads, Air and Sea Ports, Power, Housing, Water Resources
Ease of Doing Business Reforms
Digital Economy & Digital Identity
Oil and Gas
Solid Minerals
Agriculture
Social Investment and Poverty Alleviation
Education and Health
Fiscal, Trade, Monetary and Investment Reforms
Support to States
Creative Industry and Sports
Niger Delta
Anti-Corruption and Transparency
Law Enforcement, and Security and Justice Reform
Diplomacy and International Relations
Bilateral Highlights
International Appointments Held By Nigerians
Coronavirus Response
LEGISLATIVE REFORM: BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT BUHARI
Under President Buhari, Nigeria has seen the most ambitious legislative programme in its history. Several landmark Bills have been passed or amended in the last seven years, including the following:
16 Constitution Amendment Bills (March 2023)
Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022
Electoral Act (Amendment) Act, 2022
Defence Research and Development Bureau Act, 2022
Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022
Nigerian Tourism Development Authority Act, 2022
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, 2022
Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Act, 2022
Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State Est Bill, 2022
Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which repeals the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended, and provides a comprehensive legal and Institutional Framework for the prevention and prohibition of money laundering in Nigeria, while also conferring on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the legal status of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering.
Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which repeals the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 as amended in 2013, and provides for the effective implementation of international instruments on the prevention and combating of terrorism and suppression of the financing of terrorism.
Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, which makes comprehensive provisions for the seizure, confiscation, forfeiture, and management of properties derived from unlawful activity.
Civil Aviation Act, 2022, to provide for an effective legal and institutional framework for the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria in order to promote aviation safety and security, ensure that Nigeria’s obligations under international aviation agreements are implemented, and consolidate the law relating to civil aviation regulation in Nigeria.
Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022
National Institute of Credit Administration (Establishment) Act, 2022
Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners (Establishment) Act, 2022
Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act, 2022
Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, 1993 (Amendment) Act, 2019, which will deliver increased revenues to the Federation.
Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON (Amendment) Acts of 2019 and 2021.
Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Bill, the first legislation in Nigeria’s history focused on curbing anti-competition practices; establishing the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Establishment Act, 2018
The Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act 2021
Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, an Executive Bill, signed into law in 2019. The Bill facilitates the identification, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery, forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds, property, and other instrumentalities of crime, as well as the prosecution of offenders in criminal cases regardless of where in the world they might be.
Act establishing the Police Trust Fund, which will significantly improve funding for the Nigeria Police Force (2019).
Nigeria Police Act, 2020 – the first comprehensive reform of Police legislation since the Police Act of 1943.
Repeal and Re-Enactment of the Companies & Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020 – the first comprehensive reform since 1990.
Not Too Young to Run Bill (2018) – a Constitution Amendment Bill, to reduce the age of eligibility for running for elective office in Nigeria.
Nigerian Correctional Services Act, 2019 – the first comprehensive reform of prison legislation in close to five decades
Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, 2019 – the first anti-piracy legislation in West Africa.
A Bill to grant financial autonomy to States’ Houses of Assembly and States’ Judiciary (2018)
Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020
Finance Act 2019 and 2020
The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018
Credit Reporting Act (CRA) 2017
Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act (STMAA) 2017
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
President Buhari has pioneered the use of Executive Orders by any government in Nigeria; the Buhari Administration has, since 2017, issued several landmark Executive Orders:
Presidential Executive Order on Promotion of Transparency and Efficiency in the Business Environment (2017)
Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Local Procurement by Government Agencies (2017)
Presidential Executive Order on Submission of Annual Budgetary Estimates by all Statutory and non-Statutory Agencies, including Incorporated Companies wholly owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria (2017)
Presidential Executive Order on the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (2017)
Presidential Executive Order on Planning and Execution of Projects, Promotion of Nigerian Content in Contracts, Science, Engineering and Technology (2018)
Presidential Executive Order (and Amendment) on the Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS) (2018)
Presidential Executive Order on Open Defecation-Free Nigeria by 2025 and Other Related Matters (2019)
Presidential Executive Order on Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme (2019)
Presidential Executive Order 11 on National Public Buildings Maintenance (2022)
Presidential Executive Order 12 establishing a National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism (2022); pursuant to Article 58 of the Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Article 16 of the Protocol on the Mechanism related to Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security. The Centre is domiciled in the Office of the Vice President.
Executive Order 13 on Improving Performance Management, Coordination and Implementation of Presidential Priorities of the Federal Government of Nigeria (2022)
Presidential Executive Order 14 on the Facilitation & Management of Presidential Transition (2023)
INFRASTRUCTURE
As with legislative reform, Nigeria is also seeing, under President Buhari’s watch, the biggest and most ambitious federal infrastructure programme since Nigeria’s Independence.
The Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp) was established by President Buhari in February 2021, with initial seed Capital of N1 Trillion, provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). InfraCorp’s goal is to “to catalyse and accelerate investment into Nigeria’s infrastructure sector by originating, structuring, executing and managing end-to-end bankable projects in that space.”
In addition to the 1 trillion Naira equity seed capital, InfraCorp is expected to mobilise up to an additional 14 trillion Naira of debt capital. Establishment in 2020 of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), with more than $1 Billion in funding so far.
On March 30, 2023, President Buhari assented to a Bill establishing the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State, for education & research in railway engineering & technology, and other transportation sciences. The University is a US$50m Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) donation to Nigeria by CCECC. The Federal Executive Council had earlier approved the establishment of the University in 2018.
RAIL
156km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail completed and commissioned, within a Nigerian-record-time of 4 years (2017 to 2021).
8.72km extension to Lagos-Ibadan Rail Line, to Lagos Port Complex, completed in 2021.
186km Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge Rail Line, completed and commissioned in 2016.
327km Itakpe-Warri Standard Gauge Rail completed and commissioned in 2020, 33 years after construction began.
As part of this project, there was the full rehabilitation of the Railway Village, Agbor, as well as construction of a Railway Ancillary Facilities Yard, also in Agbor. In 2021 the Line commenced commercial freight haulage, transporting pipelines for the AKK Gas Pipeline project.
Commencement of the E-Ticketing concession process for the Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe Standard Gauge Rail Lines. The scope of the project is to Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Manage Secure Ticketing Solution systems (Hardware and Software) for the two lines.
Completion of the E-Ticketing concession process on Abuja-Kaduna Route in 2021, which increased the monthly generated revenue from less than N200 Million to N400 Million.
Abuja Light Rail completed in 2018.
Construction has commenced on Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Rail Line, following the ground-breaking by President Buhari in July 2021.
Ground-breaking done by President Buhari for construction of 284km Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Rail (with branch line to Dutse), preliminary works started 2021.
Ground-breaking done by President Buhari for complete revamp of Port Harcourt–Maiduguri Narrow Gauge Rail. Work has kicked off in 2022.
377 Wagons, 64 Coaches, and 21 Locomotives (including DMUs) purchased for the Standard Gauge network, between 2016 and 2021.
Jobs, Training and Capacity Building: More than 11,000 new jobs created from the on-going rail modernization projects in the country. More than 100 qualified young Nigerians awarded full international scholarships for undergraduate/graduate courses in rail engineering and transport in China, from 2018. In addition, dozens of Nigerian Engineers have been trained as part of the railway modernization projects.
Establishment of a new Transportation University in Daura, Katsina State, and establishment of a new Rail Wagon Assembly Plant in Kajola, Ogun State – both nearing completion of construction.
Three thousand tons of cement are transported monthly through train freight service from Lagos to Kano.
ROADS
Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), investing over a billion dollars in three flagship projects: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (for completion in May 2023), Second Niger Bridge (for completion in May 2023), Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway (two of three sections for completion in May 2023).
Issued by President Buhari on January 25, 2019, Executive Order #7 of 2019, on the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, allows companies that are willing and able to spend their own funds on constructing critical roads, to recover their construction costs by paying reduced taxes, over a period of time, and in a transparent manner.
So far, about three trillion Naira has been mobilised or committed through Executive Order 7, for road projects across all six geopolitical zones of the country, by companies like Dangote Group, MTN, BUA, NLNG and NNPC Limited.
Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), a public-private partnership program to mobilise, in its first Phase, over a Trillion Naira in private investment into the development and maintenance of 12 Roads, amounting to 1,963km in length.
More than 600 billion Naira worth of Sukuk Bonds raised since 2017 for more than 40 critical road projects across all six geopolitical zones. Between November 25 and December 13, 2021, the Federal Government handed over to benefiting communities 941 km of completed Sukuk road projects connecting 10 states in five geo-political zones of the country.
Completed:
Ekot-Mfum Bridge, in Cross River, linking Nigeria and Cameroon, completed in 2021.
Sukuk-financed Ikom Bridge, completed in 2021
AIR AND SEA PORTS
Completion of New Terminals for International Airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt
Construction completed on New Runways for the Abuja and Enugu International Airports. The Abuja International Airport Runway was reconstructed in 2017, for the first time since the Airport was built in the early 1980s. In 2019 President Buhari approved a special fund of 10 Billion Naira for the reconstruction of the Enugu Airport Runway; it was completed and reopened in August 2020).
Presidential approval for four International Airports as Special Economic Zones: Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is transforming into a multimodal accident investigation body—responsible for investigating accidents across all transport modes—the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), following President Buhari’s assent to the NSIB Bill 2022
President Buhari approved funds for the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) / Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to build a world-class Flight Safety Laboratory (FSL) in Abuja, and train personnel to run it. Now Nigeria no longer has to send aircraft Cockpit Voice Recorders and Flight Data Recorders (“Black Box”) abroad for downloading and analysis.
Cabinet approval for award of 30-year Concession of Onitsha River Port, under a Rehabilitate, Operate and Transfer (ROT) arrangement, February in 2022. Following this, the FGN signed a concession agreement with Universal Elysium Consortium Ltd on July 1, 2022, and two weeks later, July 16, the Onitsha River Port was handed over to the concessionaire by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
In November 2022, West African Ceramic Limited (WACL) moved ceramic tiles (equivalent to 22 trailer-loads) by company-owned barge (M.V. Vega) along the River Niger, from their factory in Ajaokuta, Kogi State to Onitsha River Port in Anambra; a distance of 162km. On the return journey, the barge (MV Vega) carried Laterite (a raw material for production of ceramic tiles) from Onitsha to Ajaokuta.
The Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, has undergone a transformation under President Buhari:
— A new Boeing 737 Full Flight Simulator has been installed in the College, as well as a fully-automated Fire and Smoke Aircraft Training Simulator. Prior to the installation of the Fire and Smoke Simulator, Nigeria was sending personnel to Cameroon for the relevant training.
— NCAT has also acquired 7 brand new Training Planes (1 multi-engine and 6 single-engine) that use Jet A1 fuel; to replace the old training planes that were expensive to maintain.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) in July 2017 received the ISO 9001:2015 certification (re-certified in August 2020) for aeronautical meteorological services delivery, making Nigeria the first-ever African country to achieve this feat.
Procurement of Primary 3D Radar equipment (RPA-200MC) for the detection of aircraft in Nigerian airspace. The first of nine to be delivered arrived Nigeria in April 2023.
Significant infrastructural upgrades at various Airports nationwide:
— Cat-3 ILS/DME (ILS = Instrument Landing System; DME = Distance Measuring Equipment) installed in Lagos and Abuja Airports in 2019 — which allows planes to land in zero visibility.
FIRS
— Installation in progress in 3 more Airports
— Cat-2 ILS/DME installed in 10 airports around the country, another 4 in progress Doppler Omni-directional Range (DVOR) / DME installed in 8 airports
— Air Traffic Control (ATC) Mobile Towers installed in Lagos and Abuja Airports
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— Low Level Windshear Alert System (LLWAS) installed in more than a dozen airports (the Sosoliso Crash of 2005 and ADC Crash of 2006 were reportedly caused by the absence of that equipment).
The procurement processes for the establishment of an Aviation Leasing Company in Nigeria, a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Center, and the development of Aerotropolis (Airport Cities) in Lagos and Abuja are all ongoing, for completion in 2022, according to the project timelines.
Lekki Deep Sea Port – the first new Sea Port in Nigeria in decades, completed in Q4 2022, and commissioned by President Buhari in January 2023. On Thursday, 6th April 2023, the first commercial vessel berthed at the new Deep-Sea Port, formally marking the start of commercial operations at the Port.
Ground-breaking done for Bonny Deep Sea Port in March 2021)
Commissioning of Kaduna Inland Dry Port in 2018. Construction of Kano and Katsina Inland Dry Ports ongoing, for completion in 2022.
Commissioning of the ‘Deep Blue’ Maritime Security Project, completed in 2021. The project includes 17 Special Mission Vessels, 2 Special Mission Aircraft, and 3 Helicopters.
Launch of a new Cabotage Compliance Strategy, in 2019, by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), to enforce the implementation of the Cabotage Act.
Presidential approval for the disbursement of the $350 million Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), by five banks, starting in 2023.
Introduction of Electronic Call-up system by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), to substantially address the challenges of traffic gridlock caused by the Lagos Ports, using technology.
Designation of the Lilypond Container Terminal in Ijora, Lagos as a specialized processing and handling facility for the export of locally-made agricultural and finished goods.
Commencement, in 2022, of the indigenous survey and charting of Nigeria’s waters, by the Nigerian Navy’s new Hydrographic Survey Vessel, NNS LANA. In March 2023, the FGN launched the first set of indigenously-produced Navigational Charts of the Lower River Niger; produced by the Nigerian Navy and NIWA.
Development of capacity at the Eastern Ports:
Reduction of Tariff (10% Rebate) on Harbour Dues for vessels calling at the Eastern Ports, as part of incentives to encourage vessel traffic to the Eastern Ports.
In December 2017, Calabar Port commenced export of bulk cement to Tema Port in Ghana
In 2019, 3 container ships berthed at Calabar Port, for the first time in eleven years
Dredging of Warri Port (Escravos Bar—Warri Port channel) completed in 2018
On October 30, 2019, an LPG Tanker operated by NLNG, berthed in Port Harcourt – the first time ever an LPG ship berthed in any of the Eastern Ports
On December 8, 2019, Onne Port received JPO VOLANS (owned by Maersk), the FIRST gearless and largest container vessel (265.07 metres) to call at any Eastern Port in Nigeria.
On August 1, 2019, Onne Port’s Brawal Terminal received MSC GRACE, its first container vessel since 2012.
In March 2021, the export of 7,000 metric tonnes of cocoa through Calabar Port to the United States, for the first time in about 14 years.
The two largest containerships to ever berth at any Nigerian port, have been in Onne, in the last 3 years: Maersk Stadelhorn, 300m long & 48m wide, on August 15, 2020, and Lady Jane on April 13, 2022. 294.5m long and 32.3m wide.
POWER
An incremental 4,000MW+ of power generating assets will be completed during the life of the Buhari Administration, including the Zungeru Hydro, Kashimbila Hydro, Afam III Fast Power, Kudenda Kaduna Power Plant, the Okpai Phase 2 Plant, the Dangote Refinery Power Plant, and others.
Energizing Education Programme: Taking clean and reliable energy (Solar and Gas) to Federal Universities and Teaching Hospitals across the country. Four Universities completed and commissioned already: BUK (Kano), FUNAI (Ebonyi), ATBU (Bauchi) and FUPRE (Delta); others ongoing.
Energizing Economies Programme: Taking clean and reliable energy (Solar and Gas) to markets across the country. Completed projects include Sabon-Gari Market in Kano, Ariaria Market in Aba, and Sura Shopping Complex in Lagos.
Energizing Agriculture Programme, launched in May 2022, to catalyze economic development and improve rural livelihoods in Nigeria through exploring the nexus between mini-grids and agricultural productivity.
National Mass Metering Programme: Nationwide rollout of electricity meters to all on-grid consumers, launched in August 2020. The Central Bank of Nigeria is providing 200 billion Naira for this, and so far, more than one million meters have been rolled out, in the first phase. This first phase generated more than 10,000 new jobs in meter installation and assembly.
Completion and Inauguration of the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project, constructed by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to supply 50 megawatts of electricity to Maiduguri and environs.
Ground-breaking in March 2023 for the first Solar Cell production factory in West Africa, being built by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in Gora, Nasarawa State.
Solar Power Naija (SPN):
Launched in April 2021 to deliver 5 million off-grid solar connections, impacting more than 20 million Nigerians, and financed through Central Bank of Nigeria loans, as well as through partnerships with NDPHC, NNPC and the NSIA. The program is expected to generate an additional N7 billion increase in tax revenues per annum and $10 million in annual import substitution.
Under Solar Power Naija and NDPHC’s partnership, ASolar is rolling out 100,000 Solar Home Systems across the country, while the NSIA (partnering under SPN) has announced a N10 billion fund for developers, targeting more than 250,000 Solar connections.
In May 2021, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) announced the planned deployment of solar-powered grids to 200 Primary Health Centres (PHC) and 104 Unity Schools nationwide.
Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) is a $550 million programme being implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria in partnership with the World Bank and African Development Bank.
— NEP is a combination of subsidies, direct contracts and technical assistance to support Electrification across Nigeria.
— NEP has so far deployed more than 20,000 Standalone Solar Systems (SHS), as well as Solar Hybrid Mini-grids in more than 250 locations across the country.
— The Rural Electrification Fund (REF), created by the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, was operationalized by the Buhari Administration in 2016. Since 2016, the REF under REA has executed more than N4 billion in projects, with more than N5 billion of Off-Grid (mainly Solar) projects slated to be executed across Nigeria in 2022.
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Special Grid Interventions
Federal Government has many key grid initiatives with more than N125.2 billion budgeted between 2015 to 2021 for TCN, and Development Finance Funding through the likes of World Bank, AFDB, AFD, JICA and others of up to $1.7 billion.
The Central Bank of Nigeria is also funding $250 million for the rehabilitation of critical interfaces between Transmission and Distribution to increase and stabilize power delivery.
Additionally, through the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), aka Siemens Power Program, an additional $2.0 billion or more will be invested in the Transmission Grid.: PPI is a Government-to-Government initiative involving the Governments of Nigeria and Germany, and Siemens AG of Germany, to upgrade and modernize Nigeria’s electricity grid.
The Contract for the pre-engineering phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) was signed in February 2021, following the 2020 approval for the payment of FGN’s counterpart funding for that phase, while the first set of equipment contract awards were made in December 2021, comprising 10 Mobitra Mega Transformers and 10 Substations. In all the PPI will encompass as many as 127 individual Transmission and Distribution projects (Brownfield and Greenfield).
All 10 Mobitra Transformers are now ready, with Factory Acceptance Tests concluded for the last batch, in Q1 2023. The first set arrived Nigeria from the Siemens factory in Trento, Italy, in September 2022.
There are, as of Q1 2022, 135 ongoing projects for transmission lines, substations and other associated grid infrastructure. TCN has completed 30 key Substation Projects and 12 important Transmission Lines.
Some of the critical grid interventions across the NESI include the resuscitation of the second Egbin-Ajah Transmission Line and the recently commissioned NDPHC Lafia 2X150 MVA & 2X60 /132/33/330 KV Transmission Substation (under NIPP). Other ongoing interventions include 330kV Quad Lines in Alaoji to Onitsha, Delta Power Station to Benin as well as the Kano to Katsina 330kV line (respectively).
The $200 million Lagos/Ogun Transmission Infrastructure Project, financed by JICA. It entails the construction of about 200 km of high-voltage transmission lines and a number of high voltage substations, benefiting several communities in the two States.
Through a special CBN intervention for Transmission-Distribution interfaces, contracts have been awarded for more than 30 Substation Rehabilitations and 1,570MVA transformer capacity upgrades, with 34 critical transformers to be installed or replaced.
On a Policy level, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has rolled out various policies ranging from a Tariff-Capping Regulation for un-metered customers, to the Eligible Customer Regulations, to the introduction of a Service-based Tariff Regime and CBN oversight of Disco Bank accounts (which has helped improve payment discipline by Discos).
HOUSING
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, has completed or is completing housing projects in 34 States of Nigeria, under the National Housing Programme, with the support of the State Governors who provided the land. So far more than 5,000 houses are at various stages of completion, and thousands more are planned.
The Family Homes Fund Limited (FHFL), incorporated by the Federal Government of Nigeria in September 2016, is the implementing agency for the Buhari Administration’s National Social Housing scheme.
The Fund has now completed more than 13,000 homes across nine States, with another 20,000 commencing building works in 2022. In the process these housing developments have created more than 64,000 direct and indirect jobs.
WATER RESOURCES
The Buhari Administration has developed a Nigeria Water Sector Roadmap (“Immediate and Long-Term Strategies for the Water Sector”), 2016-2030.
Upon assumption of office, the Administration inherited dozens of projects in the water sector; many of which had been abandoned prior to 2015. A technical audit in 2016 identified 116 inherited projects for priority completion: 37 Dams and Reservoirs, 41 Water Supply Projects, and 38 Irrigation and Drainage Projects.
Since 2016, twelve (12) Dam projects have been completed by the Buhari Administration – 10 completed construction projects and two rehabilitations – as follows: Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam, Taraba; Ogwashi-Uku Multipurpose Dam, Delta; Adada Dam, Enugu; Sulma Earth Dam, Katsina; Gimi Earth Dam, Kaduna; Amla-Otukpo Dam, Benue; Amauzari Earth Dam, Imo; Ibiono-Ibom Earth Dam, Akwa Ibom; Gadau/Lafia Zigau Dam, Bauchi; Alajue Small Earth Dam, Osun; Kampe Omi Dam, Kogi (Rehabilitation) and Kargo Dam, Kaduna (Rehabilitation)
Three (3) Hydropower Projects have also been completed:
— Gurara Hydropower Project, 30MW, Kaduna State – completed and concessioned in 2020
— Kashimbila Hydropower Project, 40MW, Taraba, now ready for concessioning;
— Dadin-Kowa Hydropower Project, 40MW, Gombe,
Kogi AD
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In Irrigation, several projects have been fully completed, including in Ejule-Ejebe, Kogi; Azara-Jere, Kaduna; Sabke, Katsina; and Sepeteri, Oyo State; while others are ongoing in Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, Gombe and Sokoto States.
More than 30 of the 41 priority Water Supply Projects inherited by the Administration have now been completed; including the Central Ogbia Regional Water Supply Project in Bayelsa State, and the Zobe and Kazaure Water Supply Projects in Katsina and Jigawa States.
On November 20, 2019, President Buhari signed Executive Order 9, in support of the Administration’s efforts to end Open Defecation across the country.
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS REFORMS
President Buhari established the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in July 2016, under the Chairmanship of Vice President Osinbajo, to drive reforms to eliminate critical bottlenecks and bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria. For the first ever, the Buhari administration instituted a coordinated effort in implementing reforms to improve the business environment.
In July 2017, the National Economic Council (NEC) unanimously approved the replication of PEBEC’s intervention structure at the subnational level implemented through the PEBEC-NEC Technical Working Group
This mandate was later articulated in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020 and subsequently retained in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021- 2025.
The Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) is the operational unit of the PEBEC and collaborates with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), private sector and other stakeholders at national and subnational levels to articulate and implement reforms.
PEBEC has, working with the public and private sectors, recorded notable achievements, including:
Nigeria Moved 39 places up the World Bank Doing Business ranking from 170 to 131.
Nigeria twice recognized as top 10 most improved economies by the World Bank Doing Business Report.
More than 160 individual reforms implemented/achieved since 2016
— 360 percent reduction in time for filing Corporate Income Taxes, from 14 days to 72 hours
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— 60 percent reduction in time to register property in Lagos and Kano
— 51 percent reduction in time to obtain development permit in Lagos from 61 to 30 days
— 51 percent reduction in time to get electricity and number of procedures from 9-6
— 26 percent reduction in cost of registering a business
— 30 percent reduction in import documentation requirements
— Digitization of the Visa on Arrival process, by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), with a mandated completion timeline of 48 hours.
— Consolidation of multiple (airport) passenger arrival and departure cards into single cards.
— Elimination of Passenger Service Charge (PSC) Stickers
Presidential Assent for the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA 2020), Nigeria’s most significant business legislation in three decades.
Presidential Assent for Business Facilitation (and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022 (known as the “Omnibus Bill”)
Presidential Assent for Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022
Presidential Assent for Credit Reporting Act (CRA) 2017
Presidential Assent for Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act (STMAA) 2017
Creation of a National Collateral Registry (NCR) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). There are now more than 35,000 financing statements valued at close to N700 billion listed on the National Collateral Registry
Ministerial Approval for ‘Insolvency Regulations 2022’, to enable the operationalization of the extensive insolvency provisions in the CAMA 2020.
Establishment of Small Claims Courts in seven (7) states – Lagos, Kano, Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa and Nasarawa.
Enforcement of compliance to 90 days for completion of product registration at NAFDAC
Publication of 30,000 outstanding marks by the Trademarks Registry in 2017.
Establishment by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) of a Special Economic Zone Institute (SEZI) and the NEPZA Alternative Dispute Resolution Center.
Licensing / Approval and Designation of Free Trade Zone Status for several new Free Trade Zones across the country, including Bundu Free Zone, River State, Ceplas Industries Free Zone, Ogun State, AHL Energy Free Zone, Delta State Hydropolis Free Zone, Niger State, Green Economic Zone, Kaduna State, Bonny Kingdom Special Economic Zone, Rivers State, and Ekiti Knowledge Zone, Ekiti State.
DIGITAL ECONOMY
Record-Setting Contributions to GDP: In the first quarter of 2020, ICT singlehandedly (without digital services) contributed 14.07 percent of Nigeria’s GDP, topping this in the second quarter of 2021, with 17.92 percent contribution to GDP and again topping this in the second quarter of 2022 with 18.44 percent.
Extension of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) ‘Pioneer Status’ to e-Commerce and software development companies.
Stipulation of N145 per linear meter cap on Highway Right of Way (RoW) for fiber optic cabling, to incentivize investment in rollout.
Launch of new national 5G policy in 2021, and successful licensing of two private companies to rollout 5G nationally. Nigeria’s 5G rollout commenced in August 2022. The 5G spectrum auction has generated $547 million in license fees.
Drafting of the Nigeria Startup Bill (NSB), as an Executive Bill, approval of the Bill by the Federal Executive Council on December 15, 2021, submission of the draft Bill to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law, and Presidential Assent to the passed Bill on October 19, 2022, producing the Nigeria Startup Act, 2022.
The new Act provides fiscal incentives and other forms of support for start-ups in Nigeria, such as tax breaks, access to funding, ease of doing business, intellectual property protection, and participation in public procurement.
Establishment of the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Startup Act 2022. The new Council is chaired by the President, with the Vice-President as Vice Chairman, and includes Ministers, representatives of the Start-up Consultative Forum, among others.
Establishment, in 2021, of a National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), to promote R&D on emerging technologies like AI, Robotics, Drones, and IoT.
In January 2023, Nigeria became the first African country to have SpaceX’s Starlink services deployed, following approval by the Nigerian Government in 2022.
Nigeria’s fiber-optic cable network has grown from 15,000km in 2015 to more than 60,000km in 2022.
Nigeria’s 4G base stations have increased from 13,823 in August 2019 to 36,751 today, expanding 4G coverage across the country from 23% to 77.5%.
The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria was launched by President Buhari on November 28, 2019.
Nigeria’s National Policy on Virtual Engagements for Federal Public Institutions launched on October 14, 2020, legally enabling Federal Government meetings to take place online.
The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau was established on February 4, 2022, to provide an institutional framework for data protection in Nigeria, and develop primary legislation for data protection and privacy.
The Nigerian Postal Service has been unbundled into two subsidiaries – a Property & Development Company and a Transport & Logistics Company – to increase efficiency and viability.
Ongoing implementation, starting in 2021, of the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone Phase 2 (NICTIB-2) Project. The goal of NICTIB is to rollout a nationwide fiber infrastructure network.
Ongoing construction of a Tier-4 Data Center in Kano, to join existing infrastructure in Abuja (Tier-3 Data Center) and Enugu (A Disaster Recovery Site). The Kano Data Center is expected to be completed in 2022.
IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
There are now more than 97 million unique records now in Nigeria’s digital identity database (NIN), as of March 2023, up from 41.5 million three years ago. Part of the driving force for this surge has been the National Policy on NIN-SIM integration, which also simultaneously enhances the integrity of the National Identification Number (NIN) database. The NIN database is also now a pre-requisite for applications for passports, drivers’ licenses, JAMB and WAEC.
OIL AND GAS
President Buhari’s assent to the Petroleum Industry Act on August 16, 2021 broke a two-decades-old jinx and is setting the stage for the unprecedented transformation of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
— Under the new Act, the NNPC has transformed into a Limited Liability Company which has been unveiled by the President in July 2022.
— The regulatory framework for the sector has also changed, with the establishment of (a) the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and (b) the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which merged the hitherto-existing Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Petroleum Equalization Fund (Management) Board (PEFMB), and the Midstream and Downstream Divisions of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
Historic Signing Ceremony, in May 2021, of the Execution of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118 Agreements between NNPC Limited and its Contractor Partners: Shell, Exxon Mobil, TOTAL and NAOC. These Agreements settled long-standing disputes that stalled development, and will unlock more than $10 billion of new deep-water investment in Nigeria.
Successful completion of Nigeria’s first Marginal Field Bid Round in almost 20 years, expected to raise in excess of half a billion dollars, and open up a new vista of investment in oil and gas.
Launch of 2022/2023 Deep Offshore Oil Block Mini-Bid Round, to spur new exploration and drilling activities in Nigeria’s deep offshore waters. Seven Offshore blocks covering an area of approximately 6,700 km2, in water depths of 1,150m to 3,100m, are on offer, in what is the first Bid Round under the new Petroleum Industry Act (2021), and also the first Bid Round (not involving Marginal Fields) since 2007.
The Buhari Administration has declared this decade the “Decade of Gas.”
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Construction ongoing on the 614km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Project, the largest domestic gas project in the country.
US$45 million Financing secured from the Islamic Development Bank, for the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study for the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project. The Agreement for the Pipeline project was signed by the two countries during President Buhari’s State Visit to Morocco in June 2018. When completed it will be the longest offshore pipeline in the world, and the second longest pipeline in the world, running across 13 countries, 11 of them in West Africa.
In July 2022, Nigeria, Algeria and Niger signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the Trans-Sahara natural gas pipeline.
Launch of National LPG Expansion Programme (including Removal of VAT from the domestic pricing of LPG)
Financial close and signing of contract for NLNG Train 7, which will grow Nigeria’s LNG production capacity by 35%
Nigeria and Morocco in 2021 signed an agreement to develop a US$1.4 billion multipurpose industrial platform (Ammonia and Di-Ammonium Phosphate production plants) that will utilize Nigerian gas and Moroccan phosphate to produce 750,000 tons of ammonia and 1 million tons of phosphate fertilizers annually by 2025. It will be located in Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State.
Commissioning, in December 2020, of the new NPDC Integrated Gas Handling Facility in Edo State, the largest onshore LPG plant in the country, with a processing capacity of 100 million standard cubic feet of gas daily, producing 330 tonnes of LPG, 345 tonnes of propane and 2,600 barrels of condensate, daily.
Establishment of a $350m Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, to finance manufacturing, contracts and assets in the oil and gas industry.
The NNPC Limited’s National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) became, in 2022, the first Government organization in West and North Africa to receive the ISO 22301:2019 Certification for Business Continuity Management from RINA.
Financing and Investment:
Afreximbank announced in January 2022 that it will assist NNPC Limited to raise $5 billion financing to support investments in Nigeria’s upstream industry, and facilitate expanded energy supply. Afrexim also disclosed plans to underwrite $1 billion of the total planned debt.
Final Investment Decision in January 2021 on a 10,000 tonnes per day methanol plant and a 500 million standard cubic feet per day gas processing plant, being promoted by the NNPC Limited and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with the private sector. The plant is now under construction in Odeama, Brass, Bayelsa State.
The ANOH gas processing plant, with a processing capacity of 300 million standard cubic feet of gas, in Imo State. It is a Joint Venture between Seplat Petroleum Development Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It also has the potential to deliver 1,200MW of power when completed.
Comprehensive Rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery (PHRC). Sign-off Ceremony of Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Contract held in April 2021, marking the commencement of site handover and full mobilization to site.
Policy, Regulatory and Funding Support for the establishment of Modular Refineries across the Niger Delta. When the Administration took office in 2015 Nigeria had only one functioning Modular Refinery. Today there are no fewer than six ongoing brownfield and greenfield Modular Refinery Projects across the Niger Delta. In 2020 President Buhari commissioned the first phase of the Waltersmith Modular Refinery, in Imo State, and broke ground on Phase 2, which will add 20,000bpd processing capacity.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Tuesday, December 21, 2021, handed over a symbolic cheque of N621.24 Billion for the rehabilitation of 21 critical roads (totalling 1,800km) across the country, through the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme under the Executive Order 7 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. Note that this does not mean that NNPC has gone into the business of constructing roads; instead it is financing the construction of roads, through its tax liabilities.
Launch of the Nigerian Upstream Cost Optimization Programme (NUCOP), to reduce operating expenses through process enhancement and industry collaboration. The overall target is to achieve a $10 or less per barrel production cost.
SOLID MINERALS
Approval, in 2020, of a new national policy on local production of bitumen. In April 2022, the Federal Government announced the selection of PwC as Transaction Adviser for the concession process for Nigeria’s bitumen blocks. (Nigeria has one of the largest bitumen reserves in the world, mostly undeveloped).
The Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) is a Buhari Administration scheme to enumerate (deploying BVN and NIN data), organize/formalize, ‘skill’, equip, and finance (by guaranteeing offtake—with fair pricing) artisanal gold miners in Nigeria.
Construction completed on the first phase of the Segilola Gold Project, Nigeria’s first large-scale commercial gold mine, and most advanced gold exploration project (also currently the largest defined gold deposit in the country). The private sector project, built during the pandemic, began exporting gold in late 2021.
In Kaduna, a $600 million integrated iron ore mining, processing and steel production company is being completed, in Gujeni, Kagarko LGA of the State – a wholly private sector investment.
Licensing by the Federal Government of 3 companies to build the first set of gold refineries in Nigeria.
In 2020, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) added Nigerian gold to its reserves for the first time.
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has achieved:
— Total automation of the operations of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO); the MCO’s web-based Administration and Management of Mineral Title System went live on 1st November, 2022.
— Revitalized the Presidential Joint Task Force on Mines Surveillance
— Enhanced the operating capacity of the National Geosciences Research Laboratories (NGRL) in Kaduna, so that samples no longer need to be sent abroad for processing
— Operationalization of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF)
— Established, in 2018, the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development, bringing the Federal and State Governments together.
— Reactivated the State Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committees (MIREMCO)
Ongoing development of the following Mining-related clusters in the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria, as part of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development’s Covid-19 economic intervention programme:
— Gold Souk in Kano
— Kaolin-processing plant in Bauchi
— Gemstone market in Ibadan
— Lead-smelting plant in Ebonyi
— Barite-processing plant in Cross River
— Gold-smelting plant in Kogi
AGRICULTURE
Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP): The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17, 2015, has disbursed more than 800 billion Naira to more than 4 million smallholder farmers of 23 different commodities (including Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, Cassava, Poultry, Soybeans, Groundnut, Fish), cultivating over 5 million hectares of farmland.
Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI): Launched as a government-to-government partnership between the Nigerian and Moroccan Governments, in December 2016, the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) produced 30 million 50kg bags of NPK 20:10:10 equivalent in 2020, bringing total production since inception to over 60 million 50kg bags equivalent; and number of participating blending plants increased to 62 from the four that were operational in Nigeria at the inception of the initiative.
A Tractor Assembly facility – a technical partnership between Nigeria and Czech Republic – is being sited at NASENI’s Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI), in Lafia, Nasarawa State. President Buhari commissioned AMEDI in February 2023.
Special-Agro Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme: A half-a-billion-dollar partnership between the FGN, AfDB Group, IsDB, and IFAD. Under the SAPZ programme, Agro-processing centres will be established across the country. The Agro-processing centres will be provided with basic infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads as well as facilities for skills training. Seven (7) States and the FCT selected for the pilot phase, due to commence in 2022: Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, and Kwara.
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) is establishing Integrated Farm Estates across Nigeria. So far, new/revived Farm Estates have been commissioned in Katsina, Yobe and Imo, and others are under development.
— President Buhari has directed NALDA to establish these Integrated Farm Estates/Settlements in each of the 109 Senatorial Districts in the country.
— NALDA was originally established in 1992, but has been dormant since around 2000, until last year when President Buhari revived it, appointed a new Executive Secretary & CEO (June 2020), and directed that the Authority be domiciled in the Presidency for direct supervision by him.
— An Integrated Farm Estate is designed to fit the particular context of its host community i.e., cultivate crops and/or livestock peculiar to the community.
— NALDA has also launched the National Young Farmers Scheme (NYFS), to engage 1,000 youths in each of the 774 LGAs, in mechanized agriculture.
— Also, under the NYFS, NALDA is sending, in the first phase, 200 young Nigerian farmers, from the 36 States, to Israel and Morocco, for training in greenhouse farming and animal husbandry. The beneficiaries will, upon completion of their training and return to Nigeria, be tasked with the training of other young people, on NALDA’s Integrated Farm Estates in their various areas.
Agriculture for Food and Jobs Programme (AFAJ):
— Under this programme, a component of the Economic Sustainability Plan (a stimulus response to the Covid-19 pandemic), the Federal Government trained and deployed over 34,000 young graduates, across all 774 LGAs of the country. Each person was given a locally-developed app on smartphones and e-Tablet, to digitally register farmers and map out their farm GIS coordinates.
— These persons helped register and map about 6 million small-holder farmers to their farmlands. The database allowed the disbursement of cash grants to assist over a million farmers purchase fertilizers in the 2021 Wet Season.
— On the back of this small-holder farmers database, the Federal Government has rolled out a financial inclusion scheme to provide bank accounts and BVNs to these farmers.
National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP):
— The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) is an initiative of the Nigerian Government designed to Modernise pastoral agriculture and livestock production in Nigeria, through the establishment of ranches, and to deliver a lasting solution to recurring clashes between pastoralists and crop farmers.
— By addressing the resource (land, water and pasture) constraints at the heart of the conflicts through this intervention, the Government expects to see a situation where both livestock pastoralists and crop farmers contribute amicably to the country’s agriculture sector.
— NLTP will create jobs, expand domestic technical capacity, increase agricultural output (milk and meat yields of local cattle breeds) and very importantly engender peace and security across the country.
— NLTP involves, in its pilot phase, the development of pilot model ranches across grazing reserves in interested States, where the deployment of requisite infrastructure (grazing areas, pasture production, milk collection, admin area, water sources, etc) and the training of pastoralist and crop farmer households will take place.
— NLTP was designed and developed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, working in close collaboration with state governments. According to the plan, 80 per cent of the start-up financing for a pilot model ranch is expected to come from the FGN while State Government is expected to fund the balance of 20 per cent.
— So far, the programme has commenced in three Pilot States – Nasarawa, Adamawa and Plateau, which have received their kick-off grants from the Federal Government and established the SPVs required to implement the pilot model ranches. Kaduna is expected to commence shortly.
The Green Imperative – a Nigeria-Brazil Agricultural Mechanisation Programme aimed at boosting agricultural production in Nigeria.
— The €995 million, 5-year project, funded by the Import/Export Bank of Brazil (BDES), with support from Deutsche Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and other partners, aims to deliver agriculture technology transfer from Brazilian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Research and Training Institutes to Nigeria’s entrepreneurs, Research Institutes and businesses.
— The National Assembly has approved the loan for the financing of the program, which will involve the development of 632 privately-operated primary production (Mechanisation) Service Centres and 142 Agro-processing (value-addition) Service Centres across the 774 LGAs, and the reactivation of 6 privately owned partially-operational or moribund tractor assembly plants nationwide. It will also train 100,000 new extension workers.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
In 2016, President Buhari launched the National Social Investment Programme, currently the largest such programme in Africa and one of the largest in the world. The National Social Register (NSR) of poor and vulnerable Nigerians (NSR) now contains more than 50 million persons from more than 12 million poor and vulnerable households, identified across more than 150,000 communities in the 36 States of the country and the FCT.
From this number, close to 2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerian households are currently benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, which pays a bimonthly stipend of N10,000 per household.
In addition, about 355,000 vulnerable persons have received a special one-off grant of N20,000 each in the 36 states and the FCT
In January 2019, President Buhari launched Nigeria’s Micro-Pension Scheme – which allows self-employed persons and persons working in organisations with less than 3 employees to save for the provision of pension at retirement or incapacitation.
Establishment of the Survival Fund, the National Youth Investment Fund, and National Special Public Works Program (774,000 beneficiaries across 774 LGAs nationwide), and the Central Bank’s Covid-19 300 billion Naira Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) to support millions of small businesses, households, and young people, with federal grants, loans, and stipends.
The Buhari Administration’s Survival Fund has provided grants (Payroll Support, Artisan and Transport Sector grants, and General MSME grants) to more than 1.2 million beneficiaries, since the last quarter of 2020. It has also provided free business registration to 250,000 MSMEs across the country.
Presidential approval for the establishment of the Nigeria Investment and Growth Fund (NIG-Fund), in 2021. This Fund will be structured like a private equity fund, and invest in commercially viable projects that will promote growth and innovation, enhance local value addition, create employment, and promote exports.
As at the end of 2021, Development Bank of Nigeria (which commenced operations in 2017) had disbursed 482 billion Naira in loans to more than 200,000 MSMEs, through 51 Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). (66% of the beneficiaries are women-owned MSMEs while 27% are youth-owned).
The Bank of Industry (BOI) has disbursed more than 1 Trillion Naira in loans to over 3 million large, medium, small and micro enterprises, since 2015. The BOI’s ‘Growth Platform’ is Africa’s largest executor of MSME interventions, with a portfolio currently valued at more than $472m.
EDUCATION AND HEALTH
Since assuming office, the Buhari Administration has committed more than 2 trillion Naira of capital intervention to Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, through various means, including TETFund – with the universities taking the lion share of the total amount.
Since 2015, the Buhari Administration has licensed 94 additional Universities, taking the total number of registered Universities in Nigeria from 128 to 222.
The Federal Government has disbursed more than 240 billion Naira in UBE Matching Grants to States and the FCT since 2015, and 24 billion Naira from the Teachers Professional Development Fund to States and the FCT.
Launch of the Alternate School Programme (ASP), designed to ensure that every out-of-school child in Nigeria gains access to quality basic education, irrespective of social, cultural or economic circumstance, in line with the aspirations of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4).
Launch of the At-Risk-Children Project (ARC-P), designed to facilitate programmes that will ensure the integration of at-risk (i.e., lacking basic education and social protection) children and young adults, creating opportunities for lifelong skills and empowerment.
Presidential approval for:
— A new (extended) Retirement age of 65 and Length of Service of 40 years for Teachers in Public Basic and Secondary Schools in Nigeria (both effective January 1, 2021)
— A new Special Teachers Salary Scale (effective January 1, 2022)
— A new Special Teachers Pension Scheme.
— Establishment of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) to regulate secondary education in the country
Reduction in number of out-of-school children, by 3,247,590, as of 31st December, 2020, achieved through a World-Bank financed program known as ‘Better Education Service Delivery for All’ (BESDA). 1.79 million of that number achieved through formal schools while 1.4 million are through non-formal interventions such as Almajiri, Girl-Child, Nomadic/Migrant and IDPs Education).
Under the World Bank-supported Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, approved in 2020, US$200m is being invested in 6 participating States (Abia, Benue, Ekiti, Gombe, Kano, Edo) as well as in 20 Federal Science and Technical Colleges nationwide.
Presidential approval for the establishment of the following:
— University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State
— Federal Maritime University, in Delta State
— Nigerian Army University, in Borno State
— Aerospace University, in the FCT
— Six new Federal Colleges of Education (one per geopolitical zone: Odugbo, Benue State; Isu, Ebonyi State; Ekiadolor, Edo State; Gidan Madi, Sokoto State; Jama’are, Bauchi State; and Iwo, Osun State).
— Eight new Federal Polytechnics in Kaltungo, Gombe State; Ayede, Oyo State; Daura, Katsina State; Shendam, Plateau State, Ohodo, Enugu State; Ugep, Cross River State; Monguno, Borno State; and Wannue, Benue State.
— Two new Federal Universities of Technology
— Under the phased implementation of the National Youth Policy, 6 Federal Science & Technical Colleges (FSTC) were established in 2020, as follows: FSTC Ogugu, Kogi State; FSTC Hadeija, Jigawa State; FSTC Umuaka, Imo State; FSTC Igangan, Oyo State; FSTC Ganduje, Kano State; FSTC, Amuzu, Ebonyi State.
— Five (5) additional Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTC) will come on-stream in 2021, and will be located in Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto, Enugu and Cross River States.
Grants to State Governments: At least $2.5 million disbursed to each State of the Federation and the FCT, under the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative, to improve health outcomes.
Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF): For the first time since the National Health Act was passed in 2014, the Federal Government in 2018 began including the 1% minimum portion of the Consolidated Revenue Fund – amounting to 55 billion Naira in 2018 – to fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The Fund is designed to deliver a guaranteed set health services to all Nigerians, through the national network of Primary Health Care Centers.
Passage of enabling legislation for the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), for the first time since it was founded in 2011. President Buhari approved a grant of 5 billion Naira for the NCDC in March 2020, as part of the response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Presidential approval for the appointment of a pioneer Director & CEO for Nigeria’s new National Cancer Research Institute, marking the formal take-off of the Institute.
Tertiary Healthcare Upgrade Programme: A number of key Federal Hospitals across the country are being upgraded to effectively manage cancer and other major health challenges. Cancer Radiotherapy machines and other equipment are being provided to these hospitals. The National Hospital in Abuja has already received two LINAC (cancer treatment) machines. In March 2023, President Buhari inaugurated a newly-built Cancer Center at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in March 2018 invested US$10m to establish a world-class Cancer Treatment Center at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and US$5m each in the Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, to establish modern Diagnostic Centres. These Centers have all been completed and are now operational.
The NSIA is now proceeding with the construction of new Cancer Centres to be located in Enugu and Kaduna, among several other healthcare investments.
President Buhari approved a N49 billion Covid-19 Intervention Fund, for deployment to 52 Federal health institutions in the country. The Fund is being used to develop healthcare infrastructure and finance equipment upgrades.
Establishment and Pilot-Launch of the National Emergency Medical System and Emergency Ambulance Scheme (NEMSAS).
— NEMSAS has been designed to provide “pre-hospital care” in the form of ambulance services, to promptly transport persons with acute illness or injury to hospitals and emergency medical treatment services for immediate initial care, without such hindrances as police reports or payment before service (i.e., at no immediate cost to the patient at the point of care).
— The national pilot, in the FCT, has kicked off in October 2022.
— NEMSAS will comprise of several components, including an emergency call center system co-located with the national emergency call-centre, at Federal and State levels; emergency communication system; an integrated ambulance system; and functional hospital emergency departments and facilities for definitive care.
— The ambulance system will operate with extensive private sector participation, and NEMSAS is expected to be financed through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF)
Launch in 2019 of a Cancer Treatment Support Programme, ‘Chemotherapy Access Partnership’, as a public-private partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and a Private Sector coalition, to enable Nigerians access lower-cost, high-quality medications for the treatment of several types of cancer. In 2021, twelve additional hospitals were approved for inclusion in the programme, to join the existing seven.
FISCAL, TRADE, MONETARY AND INVESTMENT REFORMS
The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has seen total additional inflows from the Government of around US$2 billion under the Buhari Administration – since the original US$1 billion which the Fund kicked off with in 2012.
The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) in 2017 completed a long-overdue revision of the list of activities that can benefit from Nigeria’s Pioneer Status Incentive, which grants beneficiary companies a 3 to 5-year tax holiday.
The revision, done more than 10 ten years after the last one, has modernized the List, expanding the tax holiday incentives to qualifying companies in e-Commerce, Software Development, Animation, Music, Film and TV.
Restoration of Federal Budget to January-December cycle, with the 2020 Budget, for the first time in 12 years.
Introduction, since 2020, of annual Finance (Reform) Bills to accompany the annual Federal Appropriation Bill
AMCON Reforms:
— The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was created to resolve non-performing loans in the Nigerian Financial Institutions and thus stabilize the Nigerian economy. The Buhari administration has amended the AMCON) Act twice in two years. The President gave assent to the amendments of the AMCON Act in 2019 and 2021.
— These amendments have contributed to over N1 trillion Naira debt recovery made by AMCON. The amendments of 2019 and 2021, a milestone by the same administration, gave AMCON necessary powers to pursue and be more effective in its debt recovery activities, further emphasizing its significance to the administration.
— Above all, the President’s assent to the amendment of 2021 cleared the Legal arguments that ensued on the courts’ jurisdiction over AMCON matters. AMCON courts are now the Federal High Court, Special Tribunal under BOFIA 2020 and the other superior Courts.
Negotiation of the billions of dollars in arrears of Cash Calls we inherited when the administration assumed office, owed to the NNPC’s five Joint Venture (JV) partners. First success was the negotiation for a significant discounting of the debt, to the tune of more than a billion dollars. Since 2017 the NNPC has commenced payment of the discounted arrears to the Oil Companies; as of December 2021, $3.68 billion of the $4.689 billion had been paid to the five IOCs.
Launch of a Visa-on-Arrival Policy, as part of Ease of Doing Business Reforms. In addition, a comprehensive reform of the existing Visa Regime, leading to the rollout in 2020 of a new and enhanced Visa Policy for Nigeria (including expansion from 6 visa categories to 79; each tailored to a specific type of traveller – 36 Temporary Residence Visas, 15 Permanent Residence Visas, 24 Short Visit Visas, etc.
SUPPORT TO STATES
The Buhari Administration has extended more than N2 Trillion Naira in bailout packages to State Governments, to enable them to meet their salary and pension obligations, especially in the face of dwindling oil revenues in the first 3 years of the Administration. The support has come in the form of the following:
Budget Support Facility (Total of 614 billion Naira extended to the States.
Paris Club Refunds ($5.4 billion)
Infrastructure Loans & Refunds: More than 700 billion Naira in refunds for Federal Road projects embarked upon by State Governments.
Loan Restructuring for Facilities with Commercial Banks: In 2015, the DMO restructured Commercial Bank loans with a total value of N575.516 billion for 23 States to reduce the debt service burden on the states. In exchange for their loans to State Governments, the banks were issued 20-year FGN Bonds at a yield of 14.83% per annum. The Restructuring Exercise benefited the States through:
— Reduction in the monthly debt service burden of States from between 55% to 97% for various States;
— Interest rate savings for the States ranging from 3% to 9% per annum;
— Longer repayment period for the loans now converted into Bonds; and,
— Freeing up of needed cash to run the machinery of Government.
CREATIVE INDUSTRY AND SPORTS
SPORTS
The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) developed a draft National Sports Industry Policy (NSIP), in liaison with the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG). A completed draft of the Sports Industry Policy is now with the Ministry of Justice for Vetting. The Ministry also facilitated the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval that reclassified sports from recreation to ‘Business’.
In 2021, ₦148b (₦60bn for Youth Development, ₦88bn for Sports) was approved by the Federal Government for Youth and Sports Development, in the National Development Plan (2021 – 2025).
The Federal Government, through FMYSD, initiated and launched the Adopt Campaign to improve athletes’ training regime as well as sporting facilities and infrastructure.
— Adopt-an-Athlete
— Adopt-a-Sport
— Adopt-a-Pitch
Long-overdue renovation of stadiums, including the Lagos and Abuja National Stadiums, and the Daura Township Stadium, kicked off in 2020, under the Adopt-a-Pitch initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and ahead of concessioning for private management. Abuja revamp work completed, while Lagos is nearing completion.
The Adopt-An-Athlete Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, flagged off in December 2019, was designed to allow individuals, corporate bodies, and governments “adopt” Nigerian athletes, and provide funding for their training and preparation for the Olympics. 45 Athletes were adopted ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In 2022, Tobi Amusan became the first Nigerian to win a World Athletics Championship Gold, winning the women’s 100m hurdles gold and setting a new world record in the semi-finals of the event.
In 2022, Team Nigeria made history at the Commonwealth Games by winning 12 gold medals — the highest ever in the history of the country’s participation in the Games.
The launch of the National Para-Sports Festival, whose inaugural edition held in April 2022, featuring more than 3,000 athletes and officials from 32 States of the country. The Festival was established in line with President Buhari’s commitment to the welfare and empowerment of Persons Living With Disabilities.
Launched an Athletes’ Welfare Scheme (AWS) that pays a monthly stipend to the families of deceased sporting icons like Rashidi Yekini, Sam Okwaraji, Ali Jeje and Sunday Bada; and an Athletes’ Relief Fund (ARF) during the Covid-19 Lockdowns.
Revived the Principals’ Cup in 2021, as a national event (with multiple Sports – Athletics, Table Tennis and football across the country), after 25 years of inactivity.
Despite several postponements and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Edo 2020 National Sports Festival was held successfully with over 8,000 Athletes.
Revived the One Service One Medal (OSOM) Games for the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
In 2018, the National Sports Festival held for the first time since 2012.
Nigeria’s U-20 track and field athletes finished third on the medals table at the 2021 World Athletics U20 championships in Kenya, beating the earlier best-performance record by Nigeria set more than 30 years ago.
D’Tigress won a third consecutive Gold at the 2021 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket; only the second African team ever to achieve that feat.
Nigeria national U-17 football team, the Golden Eaglets, won the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fifth time, in 2015. Their first ever win was 30 years earlier, in 1985, when President Buhari was military Head of State.
Nigeria’s participation at the 2016 Paralympic Games yielded her best gold medal result since Nigeria started taking part in the Games in 1992.
D’ Tigress, Nigeria’s Female National Basketball Team won the 2017 FIBA Africa Women’s Championship, the continental championship Cup, for the first time in 12 years, and earned qualification for its first FIBA Women’s World Cup appearance since 2006.
In 2018, D’ Tigress, Nigeria’s Female National Basketball Team earned its first-ever win at the FIBA Women’s World Cup, and went on to advance to the quarterfinals. The Team finished in 8th place – the best-ever performance by an African Team.
In 2019, D’ Tigress successfully defended its 2017 Afro Basketball Women Championship Title.
In 2020, D’ Tigress became the only female African Team to qualify for participation in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
Nigeria’s Women’s Football Team, the Super Falcons, won the African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2016 and 2018.
In 2018, Nigeria hosted a FIFA Executive Football Summit, one of twelve worldwide.
In 2019, the Super Falcons advanced to the group stage of the Women’s World Cup, for the first time in 20 years.
In 2019, Nigeria won its first Athletics World Championship Medal in six years.
YOUTH AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY SUPPORT
Launch of the $600 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE) Program, to support young Nigerians between 15 and 35 who are early-stage entrepreneurs in creative, innovative and technology-enabled ventures. i-DICE is supported by funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), with the Federal Government of Nigeria providing a counterpart contribution through the Bank of Industry.
Launch of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Internship Programme (JFP), in partnership with the UNDP, to deliver work placement and training opportunities for 20,000 graduates.
250,000 young Nigerians have so far benefited from the training and empowerment opportunities offered by the DEEL initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) – Digital skills acquisition, Entrepreneurship, Employability and Leadership – introduced in November 2019.
Establishment of the 75 billion Naira National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), overseen by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD), and approved by President Buhari in 2020, to provide business loans ranging from N250,000 to three million Naira to young Nigerians. More than 6,000 youths benefited from the first set of disbursements in 2020; the next set of beneficiaries, numbering about 25,000, have been selected and are expected to receive payments in 2022.
Increase in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) monthly allowance from 19,800 Naira to 33,000 Naira, (approved by President Buhari in January 2020); and the commencement of enrolment of members into National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), from February 2022.
The Nigerian Online Youth Assembly (NOYA): Noya.ng is a purpose-built portal by the FMYSD to enable youth job opportunities, internship opportunities Scholarships for personal development, short courses. Close to 100,000 young Nigerians have so far signed up.
Establishment of the Creative Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI), by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, to provide single-digit financing to young Nigerians in the fields of Fashion, Film, Music and Information Technology.
In 2017, the Federal Government added Creative Industries to the list of qualifying sectors for ‘Pioneer Status’ Incentives – which grants relief from Corporate Income Tax for a specified period of time.
Presidential Approval for the handover of the National Theatre, Lagos, to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers Committee, for redevelopment into a world-class Creative Park serving the theatre, film, fashion, music, and ICT sectors. The handover has been done, and redevelopment work (valued at around $100 million) has since kicked off, and will be completed in 2022. The re-developed National Theatre will host the 1st Global Conference on Cultural Tourism & Creative Industry, which will hold in Lagos from 14-17 November, 2022.
The FMYSD hosted the first-ever National Youth Conference, from November 1st-3rd, 2021, in Abuja, with 800 in-person delegates, and hundreds of thousands of online participants.
Presidential Assent to the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill, on May 31, 2018.
NIGER DELTA
Take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State. The University was granted approval in January 2018 by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective 2017/18 session, and commenced academic activities on April 12, 2018.
President Buhari approved 5 billion Naira in take-off grant for the Maritime University.
Resumption of work on the 337km East-West Road project, originally awarded in 2006. The Buhari Administration expects to complete the project in 2022/23.
Ogoni Clean-Up: Setting aside of US$170m seed funding for the Ogoni Clean Up, in an Escrow Account established for that purpose. The Escrow Agreement Signing Ceremony took place in April 2018. The Clean-Up commenced in January 2019.
As of May 2022, 16 of the 50 Lots in Phase 1 have completed remediation works and received final certification, while 26 Lots have completed remediation works and are awaiting certification.
Approvals for the establishment of private-sector-led Modular Refineries across the nine States of the Niger Delta – the first set of Modular Refineries have now been completed, while construction is ongoing on others.
In March 2023, the Federal Executive Council approved contracts for the Construction of a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration and a 100-bed Specialist Hospital, both in Ogoniland. Ground-breaking scheduled for April 2023.
ANTI-CORRUPTION AND TRANSPARENCY
EXPANSION OF TSA AND IPPIS COVERAGE
On August 7, 2015, President Buhari issued a directive to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to close their accounts with Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and transfer their balances to the Central Bank of Nigeria on or before 15th September 2015.
The TSA system was launched in 2012, but failed to gain traction until President Buhari’s executive order in August 2015. The TSA system has now been implemented in more than 90 percent of all Federal MDAs.
This decision to fully operationalize the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system—a public accounting system that enables the Government to manage its finances (revenues and payments) using a single/unified account, or series of linked accounts domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria — has resulted in the consolidation of more than 17,000 bank accounts previously spread across DMBs in the country, and in savings of an average of N4 billion monthly in banking charges.
In spite of great opposition, the Buhari Administration has expanded IPPIS coverage to the Armed Forces, as well as Federal Universities and other academic institutions.
Project Lighthouse, a financial data collection, integration and analysis engine deployed by the Federal Government starting 2018 has helped identify debts (unpaid taxes, loans, insurance funds, etc) valued at more than 5 Trillion Naira, owed Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs); of which 1.5 Trillion Naira has been recovered so far.
BVN DEPLOYMENT FOR SOCIAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMMES AND OTHERS:
Considering that personnel costs are the Federal Government’s largest expenditure line, the Federal Government has given priority to the deployment of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) for payroll and pension audits.
The use of BVN to verify payroll entries on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform has so far led to the detection of more than 50,000 fraudulent payroll entries.
The Federal Government has also ensured the deployment of BVN system to serve as the verification basis for payments to beneficiaries and vendors in the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), the N-Power Scheme and the Homegrown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP),
OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP
In May 2016, President Buhari attended and participated in the International Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the UK Government. At that Summit he pledged that Nigeria would join the OGP, an international transparency, accountability and citizen engagement initiative.
In July 2016, Nigeria became the 70th country to join the OGP. Following this, Nigeria constituted an OGP National Steering Committee (NSC), which went on to develop a National Action Plan (2017–2019) that aims to deepen and mainstream transparency mechanisms and citizens’ engagement in the management of public resources across all sectors.
In 2018, Nigeria was elected to the OGP Government Steering Committee, for a first term of three years; and re-elected to a second term in 2021.
ASSET RECOVERY
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has helped anti-corruption agencies devise clearer strategies for obtaining forfeiture of assets suspected to have been acquired fraudulently, mainly from State Coffers, before prosecuting suspected culprits.
Part of this work has involved painstakingly reviewing existing Laws (like the Money Laundering Act, 2004, the EFCC Act, 2004 and the ICPC Act, 2000), to identify and highlight sections directly conferring powers of forfeiture on Nigeria’s anticorruption agencies.
This advocacy has led to a significant increase in the use of Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture Mechanisms by anti-corruption agencies.
President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2022 signed into law the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Bill, 2022. The new Act establishes a Proceeds of Crime Management Directorate, which will ensure the effective administration of, and accountability in the management of, all properties and assets forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) launched a Constituency & Executive Projects Tracking Exercise, which is now in its 4th phase, tracking hundreds of Federal-Government funded projects across the country, to ensure delivery and value-for-money.
ICPC scrutiny of practices, systems and procedures of MDAs’ personnel cost from 2019 to 2021 has yielded more than 210 billion Naira in recoveries from inflated/misappropriated/misapplied personnel budgets and capital expenditure.
In 2022, the ICPC recorded 91 Billion Naira in recovered/seized/forfeited/restrained assets, and secured 19 convictions.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SECURITY AND JUSTICE REFORM
According to the Global Terrorism Index 2022, deaths caused by Boko Haram dropped by 92% from 2,131 in 2015 to 178 in 2021. The report acknowledged Nigeria’s “successful counter-insurgency operations targeting Boko Haram” as a leading cause of the reduction in terrorism deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa.
During his visit to the North-East at the beginning of May 2022, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said: “Now, the Borno State I have heard about… was a Borno State of terrorism, of violence, of displacement, of despair. This is not the Borno that I found today. The Borno I found today is a Borno of hope. It’s a Borno with future…”
The International Maritime Bureau reported that Nigeria in 2021 saw the lowest number of piracy attacks in its waters in 27 years.
Nigerian Air Force has acquired 38 brand new aircraft since President Buhari assumed office in 2015 (10 x Super Mushshak; 5 x Mi-35M Helicopters; 2 x Bell 412 Helicopters; 4 x Agusta 109 Helicopters; 2 x Mi-171E Helicopters; 12 x A-29 Super Tucano; and 3 x JF-17 Thunder), and is expecting another 36 new ones (12 new AH-1Z Attack Helicopters and 24 M-346 Fighter Attack aircraft), which have already been ordered.
For the first time in its history, the NAF has, under President Buhari’s Administration, successfully conducted several in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) and avionics upgrades of some of its platforms; and improved the serviceability status of NAF platforms from about 35 percent in 2015 to over 70 percent as at January 2023.
The Nigerian Navy has acquired more than 400 new platforms since 2015, including 200 Riverine Patrol Boats (RPBs), 114 Rigid- Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), 2 Seaward Defence Boats (SDBs), 12 Manta Class/Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC), 3 Whaler Boats, 4 Barges / Tugboats, 22 Fast Attack Boats, 14 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), 4 Helicopters, 14 River Town Class, 14 House Boats and 4 Capital Ships.
The Nigerian Army has acquired hundreds of new equipment including VT-4 Main Battle Tanks, STI Light Tanks, SH2 & SH5 Artillery Platforms, MRAPs, ARRV and Mine Sweepers, Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Self-Propelled Howitzers, Armored Fighting Vehicles, Mountain Climber Bikes, and many others. Most recently, in 2023, the Nigerian Military acquired 700 brand-new Troop-Carrying Vehicles, all assembled in Nigeria.
In line with the President’s directive, the Nigerian Navy has established a Naval Base Lake Chad in Baga, Borno State, as well as received Presidential approval for new Naval Bases in Lekki, Lagos, and Oguta, Imo State, and Kano, Kano State.
Two additional Divisions of the Nigerian Army (6 & 8 Divisions) established, to cover new frontiers. The Nigerian Army also established the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command, as well as a Land Forces Simulation Centre in Abuja in 2021 – borne out of an alliance between the Nigerian Army and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
For the Nigerian Navy, a Naval Doctrine Command was established, while the Nigerian Air Force created a new Special Operations Command (SOC) and a Ground Training Command (GTC).
The Buhari Administration also established the Defence Research and Development Bureau, to harness the Research and Development efforts of the Nigerian Military. Also established, in 2017, was the Defence Space Administration (DSA). On November 15, 2022, the DSA oversaw the launch of Nigeria’s first Military Satellite, DELSAT 1, into space.
Increased recruitment of personnel into the Armed Forces, including a doubling of army recruitment numbers per intake, and a quadrupling of airmen recruitment numbers per intake.
Full Operationalization of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), with the appointment by President Buhari of a pioneer Coordinator for the Center in August 2022, and the Inauguration of the new NCTC Complex in March, 2023.
Launch of Nigeria’s Revised National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) in 2016, and the National Crisis Management Doctrine (NCMD) in 2022.
Launch of Nigeria’s Revised National Defence Policy (NNDP) in 2017.
Establishment of Nigeria’s National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism, in 2022.
In 2021 and 2022, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested about 24,000 drug traffickers including 29 barons, and ensured the conviction of more than 3,400 offenders. NDLEA also seized more than 5,500 tons (5.5 million kilogrammes) of assorted illicit drugs. The value of drugs and cash seized came to more than N450 billion, while 772. 5 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed.
In 2021, the NDLEA launched Nigeria’s new National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2021-2025.
As part of Criminal Justice Reforms, President Buhari in 2020 granted amnesty to 2,600 prisoners nationwide, representing about 3.5 percent of all inmates, in a bid to decongest Nigeria’s prison population. The beneficiaries were those 60 years and above; those suffering from ill-health that might likely lead to death; convicts serving three years and above and have less than six months to serve; inmates with mental health defect; and inmates with a pending fine not exceeding N50,000 and with no pending cases.
Launch of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) National Border Management Strategy 2019-2023
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has deployed, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the global Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) at five International Airports and 17 Border Crossing Points.
MIDAS is a global real-time border management system developed by International Organization for Migration (IOM) and is linked to INTERPOL & other watchlists. The implementation of MIDAS at the International Airport in Abuja was described by the IOM as “the largest deployment of MIDAS at any airport globally, to date.”
NIS has also:
— Built and Inaugurated, in 2021, a Technology Complex at the NIS HQ, housing a Command-and-Control Center, which is able to carry out online real-time monitoring of movements in and out of Nigeria at all ports of entry and exit, while also connected to and sharing information with relevant agencies and Nigerian Missions abroad.
— Built and completed, since 2016, 17 Command Office Complexes across Nigeria, with another 4 ongoing (Rivers, Kogi, Bauchi and Ondo).
— Launched 16 new Forward Operation Bases (FOBs) across Nigeria.
— Launched, on January 15, 2019, an Enhanced e-Passport, and a Booklet with 10-year Validity
— Deployed Enhanced e-Passport Production Centers in Nigeria, and in London, Washington DC, etc.
Nigeria in September 2020 successfully completed the upload of more than 150k stolen and lost travel documents to the Interpol Database.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has established and deployed Agro-Rangers to protect farms and agro-produce in transit, and tackle farmers/herders clashes. So far about 7,000 Agro-Rangers’ personnel have been trained and deployed.
The Federal Fire Service (FFS) under President Buhari has accomplished the following:
— National Fire Safety Code approved
— Expanded operations to every State in Nigeria, to complement State Fire Services
— 12 Metropolitan Fire Stations under construction: FCT, Benue, Kano, Owerri, Enugu, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Ogun, Osun
— 6 new Training Schools approved – Maiduguri, Kankia, Ilorin, Umuahia, Ilesha, Calabar.
— Grown Capital Expenditure from N185.6m in 2015 to 4.8 Billion in 2020, and 6.5 Billion in 2021.
Ongoing Major Security Operations nationwide:
— Operation Hadin Kai (North East)
— Operation Lake Sanity (North East)
— Operation Desert Sanity (North East)
— Operation Hadarin Daji (North West)
— Operation Safe Haven (North Central)
— Operation Whirl Stroke (North Central)
— Operation Delta Safe (South South)
— Operation Dakatar Da Barawo (South South)
The Presidential Police Reform Programme:
— On June 24, 2019, President Buhari signed into law the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill, establishing the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, to mobilize financing and resources to equip the police and improve their welfare.
— On Sept 16, 2020, President Buhari assented to the Nigeria Police Bill, 2020; the first fundamental reform of police enabling legislation since the colonial Police Act of 1943.
— President Buhari approved the Presidential Roadmap on Police Reform, establishing the Police Reform & Transformation Office (PORTO), in the office of the Chief of Staff (COS) to the President, to coordinate police reforms. This Team has also developed a Presidential Roadmap on Police Reforms which captures the President’s vision for legitimate, accountable and community-involved policing in Nigeria.
— The Buhari Administration is rolling out the Police Specialized Services Automation Project (Po-SSAP) to block financial leakages and deepen fiscal accountability within the Force.
— Presidential approval obtained for commencement of Community Policing Initiative nationwide, and release of take-off funding. The Community Policing Initiative has also now been enshrined into the Police Act, 2020. So far, about 25,000 Community Policing Officers (“Constabularies”) have been trained in Police Colleges across the country, to serve as liaisons between the Police and their local communities, and to assist in intelligence-gathering.
— President Buhari signed into law, in 2019, the Bill establishing the Police Trust Fund, which will significantly improve funding for the Nigeria Police Force.
— President Buhari approved the recruitment of 40,000 new police officers. The recruitment is ongoing, in tranches of 10,000 recruits. So far, 20,000 new officers have been recruited, while the recruitment of the third batch of 10,000 is ongoing.
— Nigeria Police Force launched a new National Command and Control Center in Abuja in 2019.
— Nigeria in 2019 launched its first National Sexual Offenders Register (NSOD), managed by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking Persons (NAPTIP).
DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Re-establishment of Nigeria’s position and influence in the regional and global arena. Fragile/broken relations with the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and with neighbouring countries (Chad, Niger, Cameroon) have been revived and strengthened since June 2015.
Major outcomes/results/manifestations of Nigeria’s renewed visibility and respect on the International Stage include:
The positions of Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), African Development Bank, and African Export–Import Bank are all currently held, or have recently been held, by Nigerians.
Nigeria has hosted the 2018 African Land Forces Summit, 2022 UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy (GMIL) Week, UNWTO’s Inaugural Global Conference on linking tourism, culture and creative industries, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) fourth workshop for the promotion of the sustainable development of Africa’s deep-seabed resources in support of Africa’s blue economy strategy, Obangame Express 2023, among others.
The signing, in August 2016, of an MoU with the UK Government on modalities for the return of Nigeria’s stolen assets in the UK.
The establishment of a Global Forum for Asset Recovery (GFAR), hosted by the governments of the US and UK in December 2017, to focus on assisting Nigeria and three other countries to reclaim their stolen assets.
Nigeria joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2016 and developed a National Action Plan, which is already being implemented.
In 2016 Nigeria signed an Agreement on the identification and repatriation of Illicit Funds with the United Arab Emirates during President Buhari’s Visit to that country.
The Federal Government under President Buhari has successfully engaged the governments of Switzerland, Jersey Island, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Liechtenstein among others, in an effort to ensure the repatriation of Nigeria’s stolen assets.
A total of US$622 million in looted Abacha funds repatriated to Nigeria in two tranches in December 2017 and April 2020. The first tranche ($322m) is being disbursed as part of the Buhari Administration’s Social Investment Programme interventions, while the second tranche ($311m) is being invested in the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). More Abacha Loot has since been identified for repatriation.
Under President Buhari’s watch, Nigeria has been playing an active and stabilizing role in OPEC. In 2017 Nigeria was able to successfully negotiate a vital exemption from production cuts agreed at the time, a move that helped shore up revenues and foreign reserves.
The Buhari Administration has mobilized International Support for the War against Boko Haram, forging strong partnerships with key countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, ECOWAS, the AU, the UN, and others. After years of stalemate, the United States finally agreed to sell – and is selling – weapons to Nigeria (fighter aircraft)
Revamp of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) comprising troops from Nigeria and Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin.
The designation of President Buhari as the African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Champion for 2018
The designation of President Buhari by ECOWAS Heads of State as West Africa’s Covid-19 Champion in 2020.
President Buhari’s assumption, in 2021, of the presidency of the Pan Africa Agency of the Great Green Wall
President Buhari’s interventions have helped restore and strengthen democracy in The Gambia and Guinea Bissau. He authorized the deployment of troops, fighter jets and warships to The Gambia during the impasse that followed the December 2016 Presidential elections.
Successful evacuation and repatriation of more than 10,000 Nigerian migrants from Libya, with the support and partnership of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
BILATERAL HIGHLIGHTS:
UNITED NATIONS
Nigeria rejoins United Nations International Peacekeeping Missions, ten years after pulling out, with a deployment to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in March 2023.
CHINA
Billions of dollars in concessional infrastructure funding for critical road and rail projects. President Buhari’s April 2016 official visit to China has unlocked billions of dollars in infrastructure funding, primarily for road, rail and port projects.
Implementation of a Chinese Yuan (CNY) 15 billion Currency Swap Agreement between the Peoples Bank of China and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
GERMANY
Support for the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), six-year Programme to modernise Nigeria’s electricity grid, under a Government-to-Government framework between the Nigerian and German Governments; to be managed and implemented by Siemens AG. The first set of Transmission Equipment under the PPI arrived Nigeria in September 2022.
UNITED STATES (USA)
Renewed cooperation in Security and Anti-Corruption. The US Government has approved the sale of 12 new Super Tucano Aircraft and 12 new AH-1Z Attack Helicopters to Nigeria (following years of blocking such deals under the previous administration), as well as repatriation of recovered looted monies and assets stashed in the US. In 2020 the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey repatriated $311 million to Nigeria.
Nigerian and U.S. militaries collaborated to host, April 2018 in Abuja, the 2018 African Land Forces Summit, the largest gathering of African Army chiefs, to discuss cooperation aimed at improving security on the continent.
UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
2018: Nigeria commenced the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Tax Information (AETI) protocol with the United Kingdom. This Protocol will provide the Nigerian Government with data on bank accounts, property and trusts held in the UK by Nigerian nationals, and will support the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) by allowing Nigerian tax authorities to check the accuracy of declarations received regarding overseas assets and income.
2018: Launch of the UK–Nigeria Economic and Development Forum, by Prime Minister Theresa May and President Muhammadu Buhari. The seventh edition of the Forum held in April 2022.
2018: Launch of a UK-Government funded £13 million education programme to provide training for teachers, school equipment, and security for schools, for 100,000 children living in parts of the Northeast affected by Boko Haram.
2021: Repatriation by the United Kingdom of GBP 4.2 million, being recovered loot from the Ibori family, to Nigeria.
2021: The Royal Navy Ship, HMS Trent visited Nigeria to assist in maritime security operations in the Gulf of Guinea. It was the first Royal Navy vessel to operate in the region in three years.
SOUTH AFRICA
The SA-Nigeria Bi-National Commission was in 2019 elevated from Vice Presidential to Presidential Level, as a symbol of a renewed commitment to cooperation between Africa’s two largest economies.
MOROCCO
The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, PFI (which involves a partnership with the Government of Morocco, for the supply of phosphate, as well as technical assistance), has resulted in the revitalization of more than 40 blending plants across Nigeria.
As part of the PFI, in 2018 Nigeria and Morocco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (between OCP of Morocco and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority) on the establishment of a Basic Chemicals Platform, specifically to develop a significant Ammonia Production Plant in the Niger Delta. In March 2021, contracts were signed by NSIA and OCP for land acquisition, joint venture equity investment, and gas supply for the project.
Nigeria and Morocco are working jointly on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, which will deliver Nigerian gas to Morocco and Europe.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)
Before the coming of the Buhari Administration, no signed agreements or MoUs existed between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Currently there are nine signed bilateral agreements and MoUs, with another eight being worked upon for signing soon.
Arms deals, including the purchase of a new Warship for the Nigerian Navy (constructed in Sharjah, UAE), and 100 new Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAPS) for the Nigerian Army.
Nigeria has signed and ratified an Extradition Treaty with the United Arab Emirates that allows extradition of Nigerians who flee to the UAE after committing crimes in Nigeria.
SAUDI ARABIA
During the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in 2019, President Buhari met separately and held extensive talks with the King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS; as well as the leadership of ARAMCO and the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund.
One of the outcomes of the Saudi Visit was the agreement by the two governments to set up a joint Saudi-Nigeria Strategic Council, made up of government officials and businessmen from both countries, and which will focus on economic growth and development, investments in oil and non-oil sectors, and security cooperation.
INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENTS HELD BY NIGERIANS
Designation of President Buhari as the African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Champion for 2018, and by ECOWAS Heads of State as West Africa’s Covid-19 Champion in 2020.
Election, in 2021, of President Buhari as the President of the Conference of Heads of State and Governments of the member states of the Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall (PAGGW)
Election of President Buhari as Chairman of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, 2017
Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), appointed 2017
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) (first African and first woman to hold the position, elected 2021)
Akin Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, elected in 2015 and re-elected 2020.
Benedict Oramah, President of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), re-elected for a second term in 2020
Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); elected 2016, re-elected 2019.
Chile Eboe-Osuji, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), 2018–2021.
Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 2019–2020.
Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner, African Union Commission’s Department for Political Affairs & Peace and Security, elected 2021
Funke Adeyemi, elected Secretary-General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) in 2022
Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr appointed Force Commander / Acting Head of Mission for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in February 2022.
Epiphany Azinge, SAN, appointed President of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal, in London, in 2022
Osahon Enabulele elected President of the World Medical Association, in 2022
Mustafa Shehu elected President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), in 2022.
Oladele John Nihi, elected Vice President, Pan-African Youth Union (PYU), in 2021. PYU is the overall coordinating body for all youth organizations (national, regional and continental) in Africa.
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
President Buhari appointed Champion of the ECOWAS COVID-19 response, in April 2020.
The President in March 2020 set up an Economic Sustainability Committee chaired by Vice President Osinbajo, to develop a comprehensive economic plan to respond to the disruptions and dislocations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ESC produced an Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) that is being implemented and has been credited with helping Nigeria exit the Covid-induced recession faster than expected.
The President in March 2020 set up a Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to coordinate Nigeria’s multi-sectoral inter-governmental approach to COVID-19. The PTF has since April 2021 transitioned into a Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19.
President Buhari also approved the following, in 2020:
Establishment of a 500 billion Naira COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund, for the upgrading of health facilities nationwide, finance a national Special Public Works Programme, as well as any other interventions that may be approved in the future.
Launch of the Export Expansion Facility Programme, designed to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic on exporting businesses. The goals are market development (22 identified export markets), capacity building, export aggregation, and trade facilitation.
President Buhari approved, under the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) the release of a first tranche of 5 Billion Naira to the Aviation industry. The money was shared amongst Airlines, Ground handling Companies, the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria, In-flight Catering Services Operators, and Aviation Fuel Operators, as Bailout package for the Aviation Sector.
Release of special intervention grants of 10 billion Naira and 5 billion Naira to the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) respectively, to facilitate the Covid-19 Response.
A three-month repayment moratorium for all Social Investment Programme microcredit loans (TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni), with immediate effect.
A three-month moratorium for all Federal Government funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, and the Nigeria Export Import Bank.
Presidential approval for Expansion of National Social Register (official database for implementation of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme) by 1 million additional households.
THIS FACT-SHEET WAS PRODUCED AND OFFERED FOR PUBLICATION BY THE MEDIA AND PUBLICITY UNIT AT THE NIGERIAN PRESIDENCY.
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