THE immediate former president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari delivered his farewell speech in a televised broadcast to Nigerians prior to his handing over to the newly sworn-in president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, May 29.

During his farewell speech, President Buhari spoke about various achievements in revitalizing the economy and enhancing the social welfare of Nigerians, particularly those in rural areas who face economic challenges. Additionally, he expressed his confidence in leaving Nigeria in a better state than when he assumed office in 2015.

In this fact-check, FactCheckHub identifies and analyses some claims with elements of falsehood in the valedictory speech of the immediate ex-president.

Claim 1

Buhari claimed he increased the ability of poor Nigerians to earn a living.

THE FINDINGS

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Claims by FactCheckHub show that more Nigerians were pushed into poverty under Buhari’s administration.

Despite expending over N2 trillion on National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) to allay poverty, data shows that 133 million people were said to be living in multidimensional poverty under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the latest “multi-dimensional” poverty report by the National Bureau of Statistics, 133 million people in the country, representing 63 per cent of the population, are living in different categories of poverty. This is higher than that the 40.1% recorded in 2018/19 national monetary poverty line.

The report stated that 65 per cent of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35 per cent (nearly 47 million) live in the South.

The National Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report is 0.257, indicating that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations.

The report stresses that poverty levels across states vary significantly, with the incidence of multi-dimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27 per cent in Ondo to a high of 91 per cent in Sokoto.

The report highlights that more than half of Nigeria’s population is experiencing multidimensional poverty and relies on dung, wood, or charcoal for cooking, instead of cleaner energy sources.

Furthermore, the report reveals significant deprivations at a national level in areas such as sanitation, healthcare, food security, and housing. As a result, the prevalence of the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) is higher compared to the monetary poverty index (MPI) in most states.

THE VERDICT 

The claim that the ability of the poor increased under Buhari’s administration is FALSE as data shows that more Nigerians have become poor under Buhari’s administration.

CLAIM 2

Buhari said incidences of Banditry, terrorism, armed robbery and other criminal activities reduced considerably under his administration

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

Nigeria has seen an increase in cases of insecurity since 2015 according to Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a project of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) that presents data on violent incidents in Nigeria from 2015-2022. The data shows that Nigeria has recorded no fewer than 11449 violent attacks between 2015 and 2022.

Based on the data analyzed by FactCheckHub, there has been a consistent rise in violent attacks which includes banditry, attacks on defenceless Nigerians and mass abductions during Buhari’s presidency since 2015. The data indicates that the recorded cases of violent attacks were 882 in 2015, 825 in 2016, 947 in 2017, 1172 in 2018, 1549 in 2019, 1867 in 2020, 2285 in 2021, and 1922 in 2022.

Data shows a severe decline in security during the Buhari administration. From May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2022, a total of 55,430 individuals lost their lives to terrorist organizations and criminal gangs operating across the country. Similarly, there was no respite as regards kidnapping incidents as no fewer than 3872 Nigerians were kidnapped between 2015 and 2022.

On displacement, Nigeria faced the highest cases of displacement crisis ever in the history of Nigeria under Buhari. According to data from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, millions of Nigerians fled their homes majorly because of the security situation under Buhari’s administration. In 2022 alone, at least 3.6 million Nigerians were forced out of their homes.

THE VERDICT 

The claim by Buhari that cases of violent attacks reduced considerably during his administration is FALSE as findings by FactCheckHub show that the security situation of the country has worsened during his tenure.

CLAIM 3

Buhari claimed that he met Nigeria better than he met it in 2015

THE FINDINGS 

Findings by FactCHeckHub show that the claim is FALSE.

This is not the first time that the former president would be making the claim. The ex-President had earlier made the same claim in his response to Bloomberg’s questions published on June 21, 2022, saying his administration would be leaving Nigeria “in a far better place” than he found it.

Assessments conducted by fact-checkers and credible media platforms reveal a dismal performance by President Muhammadu Buhari in key areas such as the economy, security, and the fight against corruption, which he emphasized before assuming office.

In terms of the economy, an analysis of Nigeria’s consumer price index indicates a staggering increase in the inflation rate during President Buhari’s eight-year tenure. When he assumed office in May 2015, the inflation rate stood at 9 per cent. However, by the time he handed over power on May 29, 2023, it had risen to a significant 13.22 per cent. 

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently reported that the inflation rate further escalated to 22.04 per cent in April 2023. This marks the fourth consecutive increase this year and the highest rate recorded under President Buhari’s administration.

In 2022, The ICIR also reported that Nigerians have been struggling for feeding as a result of over 100 per cent hike in the prices of key staple food prices since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that the overall inflation rate from 9.01% to 21.87% under Buhari’s administration while the food inflation rate 9.89% to 24.34% in 2023.

The exchange rate has experienced a significant increase over the past 8 years. At the start of President Buhari’s tenure in 2015, the Naira-to-Dollar value was fixed at N192.64. However, as of today, it has risen to N461, marking a 139% increase.

In terms of debt, President Buhari inherited a total public debt of less than N13 trillion. However, by the time he left office, this debt had escalated to N46.25 trillion, nearly quadrupling the amount from 2015.

Regarding poverty, there has been an alarming rise during Buhari’s administration. The percentage of Nigerians living in poverty increased from 40.1% to 63% of the entire population.

In the area of security, the situation deteriorated under Buhari’s leadership, with a recorded total of 11,449 violent attacks resulting in loss of life between 2015 and 2022.

Under Buhari’s governance, Nigeria’s corruption perception index ranking worsened significantly, dropping from 136th in 2015 to 150th among 180 countries in the world.

THE VERDICT 

The claim that Buhari met Nigeria better than he met it in 2015 is FALSE as assessments of his administration’s performance in terms of security, economy and corruption have shown otherwise.