By FEJIRO JOHNSON

When a majority of Nigerians re-elected President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, for a second term in 2019, it was more because they believed in the integrity and fidelity of the Buhari administration to deliver on its promise of reforms and change.

Although many factors have hampered the speed of that change, but only a few would argue that there have been major developments across different sectors since President Buhari was elected in 2015, especially in the areas of infrastructure, social investment programmes and economic recovery polices.

Six years have gone by. Has it been worth it? Definitely. The Buhari government was dealt a hard hand in 2015 when it was first elected into office due to some circumspect global events.

Rudolf Okonkwo, in his article, the moral burden of Yemi Osinbajo, forgot to mention that President Buhari administration inherited a country that was virtually on its knees in terms of attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in the North East and other parts of the country; the slump in oil prices to as low as $35 per barrel, in contrasts to the former administration when oil at a time sold for up to $100 per barrel.

Due to the slump in global price of crude oil, Nigeria officially entered into a recession in 2016 for the first time in 20 years. The price of oil has fallen from a record high of about $112 a barrel in 2014 (before President Buhari was elected) to below $50 in that period. Between 2014 and 2016, it was reported that there was about 60 per cent drop in the global oil prices, which further exposed the country’s economy. As at June 2014. the price of Nigeria’s crude - Bonny light, was about $115 per barrel, but by January 2016, it had plunged to as low as $31 per barrel by January 2016.

Also, during that time, the country’s economic situation was worsened by the frequent attacks on oil installations and the renewed militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta region which grossly affected production of crude oil, which accounts for about 70 per cent of government’s revenue. By May 2016, Nigeria’s crude oil exports had slumped from about 2.2 million barrels per day to less than 1 million barrels per day.

And there was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. When President Buhari chose Osinbajo as his deputy before the 2015 elections, he already saw what many Nigerians now know: that Osinbajo is a thoroughbred intellectual and public servant who throughout his stellar career in public service, academia and clergy, has proven (and continues to prove) himself as a man of integrity, honour, strong character and values and has continued to make significant impact in every area of governance and public service.

Through Osinbajo, the Buhari government’s Niger Delta New Vision, was set in motion to develop the Niger Delta. On behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice president undertook a tour of the region to meet with leaders and stakeholders in the region in 2017 so as to find lasting solutions to the issues in the region. Osinbajo’s leadership and foresight was instrumental to ensuring the peace and stability in the region. This helped to improve oil revenue and the country’s economy.

It was Osinbajo that President Buhari named as chair of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), which was inaugurated in July 2016. PEBEC was the administration's initiative to reform the business environment, attract investment and diversify the economy to reduce the nation's reliance on oil. Since its setup, PEBEC has spearheaded reforms that have improved the nation’s economic environment through its Ease of Doing Business reforms. This ensured Nigeria moved up 24 places on the World bank’s Ease of Doing business index and earned the country commendation as one of the top 10 reforming economies in the world.

Also, the Vice President has helped launch the administration’s Energizing Economies project which provides solar power to markets and economic clusters for small businesses and petty traders and has helped to boost economic growth. One should also add that the VP was mandated by the President to head the country Economic Management Team (EMT).

Recall that the Buhari government had developed an Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) in 2016. The ERGP is a medium-term economic framework meant to stimulate the Nigerian economy back to sustainable, accelerated development and restore economic growth in the medium term (2017-2020). In a nutshell, the ERGP was designed to address long-standing economic vulnerabilities.

Despite the arguments of armchair critics like Rudolf Okonkwo and his ilk, economic analysts can attest to that coupled with Nigeria’s resilience, the proactive economic policies of the Buhari government, also ensured that the country was able to exit is faster than would have happened. It should also be stated that through Osinbajo’s vision and forthright leadership, the Buhari administration’s economic policies and initiatives helped to steer Nigeria clear of recession and drive growth across different sectors.

What about the impactful National Social Investment Programmes (SIPs), which was driven by the Vice President from its inception in 2016 and 2019? It was Osinbajo that spearheaded what has been described as the most successful social investment programmes ever implemented in Nigeria, and the largest social investments scheme in sub-Saharan Africa. The Buhari administration’s SIPs have since lifted millions of Nigerians out of poverty and provided support to many small businesses through its various components. The SIPs comprise of the N-Power Programme, employed 500,000 graduates; the GEEP loans (Market Moni, FarmerMoni andTrader Moni), provided credit to over 3 million Nigerian traders, artisans and businessmen; the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, feeds over 10 million children in public schools in 31 states nationwide; and the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, helped to empower over 300,000 of the poorest families in Nigeria with monthly stipends. Again, it is important to state that the SIPs were designed, promoted and managed by Vice President Osinbajo, until 2019.

Osinbajo’s interventions has also helped to strengthen Nigeria’s unity and economy. Recall that following the #EndSARS protests nationwide in October 2020, the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo directed the immediate establishment of State-based Judicial Panels of Inquiry nationwide to receive and investigate complaints of Police brutality or related extra-judicial killings with a view to delivering justice for all victims of the dissolved SARS and other police units.


The Council also resolved that the Judicial Panels would include representatives of Youths, Students, Civil Society Organizations and would be chaired by a respected retired State High Court Judge. Since then, the judicial panels have made far reaching resolutions and recommendations.

Also, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the economies of countries globally, did not spare Nigeria. Again, Africa’s largest economy entered a second recession in five years due to the fallout of the global pandemic. In June 2020, the World Bank Nigeria Development Update (NDU), had stated that, “the collapse in oil prices coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to plunge the Nigerian economy into a severe economic recession, the worst since the 1980s.”

But again, Nigeria’s economy rallied round and successfully exited recession in the fourth quarter of 2020, faster than other countries that experienced the economic fallouts from the pandemic, and triumphed over doom predictions.

A major factor that was credited for Nigeria’s successful exit from recession was the Buhari administration’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP). The ESP was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 24, 2020, as a N2.3 trillion stimulus plan to mitigate the effects of a deep recession from the fallout of the pandemic. Interestingly, the Plan was developed by the Economic Sustainability Committee established by President Buhari in March 2020, which he asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to chair. The presidency rightfully noted that that “Nigerians can expect more because the administration is unrelenting in its determination to pursue the steady recovery and growth of our economy.”

Again, Osinbajo’s Midas touch is evident in not only helping Nigeria exit recession, but improving the economy and other aspects of national life. The ESP, through the Survival Fund and other components, has continued to impact the lives of Nigerians and support small businesses nationwide.

It is noteworthy to state that Vice President Osinbajo has played and continue to play pivotal role in every major achievement of the Buhari administration. So, has it been worth it for Vice President Osinbajo. Certainly. These are just some of the reasons why.

Nigerian voters voted with knowledge. They went with trusting two leaders to manage their resources better than any other candidate in 2015 and 2019. Osinbajo remains a favourite leader among millions of Nigerians because he has continued to prove his worth, not only to the Buhari administration, but also to Nigerians who know they have a dependable Vice President and one many have described as the best Vice President that Nigeria has ever had.

Haters like Rudolf and his gang have 2023 in mind, and they know that even with the permutations of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the picture, VP Osinbajo remains a formidable candidate for the presidency and would be a natural successor to President Buhari. These detractors are on a smear campaign against the VP because they know that the Osinbajo would provide the most formidable opposition to whoever their interests favours come 2023.

But thing is, no matter what the detractors try, they would always find it difficult to tarnish the shining image of a man who has already written his name in gold and continues to prove his critics wrong in delivering high quality performance in government through dedicated focus and commitment towards improving the welfare of the people and nation at large?

So, has Osinbajo’s six years as Vice President and deputy to President Buhari been all worth it? A resounding yes. Despite the challenges, Nigeria will surely prevail and become great.

The truth of the matter is Politicians in the opposition parties always feel intimidated by this good man, reason why he has many enemies.

Prof Osinbajo is highly intelligent, its unfortunate we don't how important he has been in initiating schemes that work for Nigerians. The ESP lifted us put of recession and the judicial panel that has been serving justice to police officers on the wrong side of the law.

No power formed against Osinbajo shall prosper. We love him

buhari didn't meet Nigeria on its knees. enough of the lies. buhari's incompetence destroyed the economy and security

The government is trying...

Everyone enlightened enough about the profligacy of past administrations will know that what Buhari/Osinbajo would have used in building Nigeria has been wasted, squandered! And the crude is not selling fast as it used to again.

However, it is the responsibility of the government to be creative enough and look for alternative sources of funding, which the incumbent has been doing.

They have introduced series of economic policies and measures which are working currently. The Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) being supervised by VP Osinbajo currently recently brought Nigeria out of recession unexpectedly. Thousands of jobs affected by Covid-19 have been saved too.

The housing schemes providing houses for deserving Nigerians are there, the Microsoft partnering the FG will offer Nigerians 5 million jobs in 3 years, while the government on its own will offer 27,000 direct employment.

These are a few of what the government is doing that we should applaud. Of course, there is a dire need for more.