10 issues that have featured prominently in Nigerian presidents’ inaugural speeches since 2007
Since Nigeria’s transition to democracy in 1999, the inaugural speeches of the newly-elected presidents always offer citizens a glimpse into what to expect from the new administration, this is believed to be one of the reasons why the new leaders make enticing promises that may end up unfulfilled at the end of their term in office.
From Umaru Musa Yar’adua‘s proclamation of “the challenge is great, the goal is clear, the time is now,” to Goodluck Jonathan’s reassuring words of “you have trusted me with your mandate, and I will never, never let you down,” inspiring speeches have been delivered with pledges to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians. However, to what extent have these commitments been fulfilled?
Sixteen years after Umaru Musa Yar’adua, who passed away on May 5, 2010, promised in his inaugural speech in 2007 to lower interest rates, reduce inflation, and maintain stable exchange rates, President Bola Tinubu, on May 29, 2023, pledged to address these same challenges, which, according to available data, have worsened.
From a struggling economy that has failed to cater to 133 million Nigerians who are multidimensionally poor, to high-interest rates, a ₦280 arbitrage between the parallel and official exchange rates of the naira, soaring food prices, insecurity, and lack of jobs, many Nigerians would argue that the promises made during past Nigerian presidents’ inaugural speeches have not been fulfilled.
What are the ten promises that have prominently featured in inaugural speeches but have failed to materialise?
Insecurity:
Insecurity has been a recurring challenge inherited by every administration, with a professed determination to address it. In 2007, when the late Yar’adua assumed power, Niger Delta militants terrorised the South-South region, kidnapping oil workers and sabotaging pipelines. While Yar’adua’s Niger Delta Amnesty Programme led to relative peace in the region, Boko Haram, a terrorist group, emerged in the far North by the end of 2009.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, an ex-army general, campaigned on the platform of tackling insecurity and emerged victorious in the 2015 presidential election. During his inauguration speech, he declared that there would be no safe zone for Boko Haram and insurgency.
“Progress [on Boko Haram’s insurgency] has been made in recent weeks by our security forces, but victory cannot be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command center will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain there until Boko Haram is completely subdued,” he proclaimed.
Eight years after that promise, over 63,000 Nigerians have lost their lives due to insecurity, representing an 80% increase compared to Jonathan’s four years in power. A new terror group, the Bandits, emerged in the Northwest. Herdsmen-farmers conflicts have resulted in the death and displacement of millions, and insecurity has ravaged the South-east due to agitation from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN). Moreover, Boko Haram has not been completely “subdued.”
“Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence,” President Tinubu declared on May 29, 2023.
Unemployment:
“My administration must create meaningful opportunities for our youth. We shall honor our campaign commitment of one million new jobs in the digital economy,” Tinubu declared, echoing the promises made by past presidents to create employment opportunities for the Nigerian population.
Job creation has been a “top priority” for every administration from Yar’adua to Buhari. However, the number of unemployed individuals has risen fivefold, from 6.4 percent in 2010 to 33.3 percent.
Power Sector:
Increasing Nigeria’s production capacity through the power sector has prominently featured in the speeches of Nigerian presidents.
“Over the next four years, we will see dramatic improvements in power generation, transmission, and distribution,” Yar’adua pledged in 2007. Eight years later, Buhari expressed frustration with Nigeria’s low power generation and transmission capacity, stating on May 29, 2015, that “it is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates 4,000 MW and distributes even less.”
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in 2021, reported an average power distribution of 4,094.09 megawatts (MW), despite an available generation capacity of about 8,000 MW.
Maintain Stable Exchange Rate:
As many believe that Tinubu’s comment “fuel subsidy is gone” was responsible for the price hike and panic being witnessed across the country, his speech on unifying the exchange rate is also seen as the reason why the Nigerian stock market rallied by 5.2%, a spike that some experts have coined as the “TinuBULL,” akin to the “Bull Run” used to describe an increase in cryptocurrencies.
For years, there has been a difference between the official exchange rate of the naira to the dollar and the unofficial rate known as the parallel market. As of May 25, 2023, $1 is equivalent to ₦461, while the unofficial price trades at $1 to ₦750. Interestingly, 16 years ago, Yar’adua promised to stabilize exchange rates during his inaugural speech.
“Our economy already has been set on the path of growth. Now we must continue to do the necessary work to create more jobs, lower interest rates, reduce inflation, and maintain a stable exchange rate,” Yar’adua said.
Agriculture:
Agriculture, as an alternative source of revenue generation and employment, has been a recurring theme in inaugural speeches.
President Muhammadu promised to “attack the problem of unemployment frontally through the revival of agriculture.” However, inflation rose by 59% during his tenure, accompanied by soaring food prices that have pushed more people below the poverty line.
President Tinubu made a similar promising declaration, stating that through his reformative agricultural policies, “food shall be made more abundant yet less costly. Farmers shall earn more while the average Nigerian pays less.”
Education:
Buhari mentioned improving the educational sector as a long-term goal without providing specific details on how to achieve it.
“For the longer term, we have to improve the standards of our education,” he said. However, during his administration, funding for public-owned universities increased from ₦418 million in 2014 to ₦1.2 trillion in 2023, yet these universities went on strike for a cumulative period of 21 months (1 year and nine months). President Tinubu did not mention his objectives for education during his inaugural address, while past presidents have promised to reform and improve the system without significant progress.
Healthcare:
With a national average of one doctor to 10,000 patients, there is a healthcare crisis in Nigeria, worsened by the constant migration of medical professionals abroad in search of better opportunities.
Yar’adua’s pledge to advance “public health and control diseases that hold back our population and limit our progress” gave way to Buhari’s promise “to look at the whole field of healthcare,” but he spent more than 200 days away from Nigeria on medical trips.
War on Corruption:
Yar’adua began his inaugural speech with a promise to set up a panel to examine the entire electoral process that brought him to power. His speech further reiterated his determination to wage war on corruption.
“We are determined to intensify the war against corruption, especially because corruption is central to the spread of poverty. Its corrosive effect is visible in all aspects of our national life. We have made significant progress in recent years in this area, and we will maintain the momentum,” he said.
Buhari, known for his campaign against corruption, won the hearts of many when he said during his address, “For I would not have fulfilled my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others to abuse theirs under my watch.” However, under his administration, many corrupt practices were recorded, and Nigeria was ranked the 150th most corrupt nation in the world.
Lower Interest Rate:
Tinubu, during his inaugural speech, stated that “interest rates need to be reduced to increase investment and consumer purchasing power, thereby sustaining the economy at a higher level,” a promise similar to the one made by Yar’adua on his inauguration day.
Economy:
Making the Nigerian economy thrive by providing all the necessary parameters has been a recurring pledge in the inauguration addresses of Nigerian presidents since 2007.
Yar’adua hinted at the progress made during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, stating that Nigeria was being talked about as one of the 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020. From Jonathan to Buhari and Tinubu, the economy has remained a focal point, with promises of transforming Nigeria through infrastructural reforms, spearheaded by the private sector.
Many Nigerians question how much of these promises have been achieved, as Nigeria’s GDP per capita hovers around $2,202, compared to South Africa’s nearly $7,000.
