Suleiman Hashimu walked 750km (460 miles) and
wore out six pairs of shoes over 18 days in order
to see the inauguration of Nigeria's new
president.
His trek caught the public imagination and when
he completed his trek, he actually got an invitation
to meet Muhammadu Buhari before he was sworn
in on Friday.
Two years ago, Mr Hashimu was talking with a
group of friends about what they would do if Mr
Buhari, a former military leader, won the 2015
presidential election.
One owned a shop and said he would let people
take whatever they wanted, free of charge, but Mr
Hashimu did not have much money to give away.
"I made a promise that if Gen Buhari should win
the election I would trek from Lagos to Abuja - so
it started as this joke!" he says.
When Mr Buhari was declared the winner on 1
April 2015 - becoming the first opposition
candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria -
Mr Hashimu's friends called him, reminding him of
his promise.
That same day Mr Hashimu left his home in
Ibadan, where he was working in the construction
industry, and travelled to Lagos. The next morning
he began his long walk.
He decided to walk for 12 hours each day and
soon realised the scale of the task he had set
himself.
But news of his journey quickly spread and he was
greeted warmly at each village he entered.
"The journey took me 18 days but after I started I
only walked three days alone. The other 15 days I
walked with people. Most of the young people I
met told me that I'm not the only one who loves
Buhari and they volunteered to walk me to the next
town," he says.
The excitement generated by his trek lifted his
spirits.
"People from all over the world called me. People
shared my number on social media so people from
the UK and US would be calling me, encouraging
me, giving me confidence to walk. Those following
me to the next town also gave me encouragement
so I was so happy, so happy.
"People started coming up to me and telling me
about their problems. 'We have insecurity in our
community, we don't have enough land to farm.'
All different complaints. Some people said they
need water and others that they need light.
"All I would tell them is to write it down, put it
inside an envelope and if I should be given the
opportunity to see the president then I will deliver
their messages to him," says Mr Hashimu.
'Hungry for change'
He arrived in the capital, Abuja, on 20 April. He
had taken with him 100,000 naira ($500, £330) to
cover his meals and accommodation but had only
spent 3,500 naira as people along the way had
looked after him.
He was met by a crowd of people, including
members of President Buhari's support
organisation and they arranged a meeting.
"When I met the president he smiled, he was so
happy with me.
"He said, 'Thank God you look at me as a young
man. You encourage me as well because when
you make a promise you fulfil it. I am so happy
with you.'
"And then he collected the messages from me,"
says Mr Hashimu.
The meeting with the president was brief and he
did not manage to ask everything he wanted.
"I'd like to discuss the problems many young
people experience because there's no way you can
trek all the way from Lagos to Abuja without
seeing different things. I met with different kinds of
language, different tribes and cultures."
Mr Hashimu says his journey made him realise
Nigerians have huge expectations of the new
president.
"People came out and sometimes when I saw the
crowds I started crying because I was shocked."
He said he had nothing to offer them yet they
came out to celebrate with him.
"Nigerian people are hungry for change and they
have seen change and that's why they came out."

Make r president make him adviser on people need