By Gom Mirian
Immediate past Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, came into power on a high pedestal because he was perceived to be a visionary leader who would turn Nigeria around for good, especially in the fight against corruption, but this was not to be. In this report, Gom Mirian highlights a number of projects which the ex-president commissioned even though they were not even close to completion yet.
In the twilight of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the failures of his government were glaring, even to the blind. In a frantic effort to prove that he had delivered on his promises to the Nigerian people, he began to make moves that amount to what could be described as high level desperation.
Some of these moves include the serial commissioning of projects dear to the hearts of Nigerian people, thereby giving them false hope as a majority of them were no where near completion.
The list of these projects include Dangote Refinery, the Second Niger Bridge, the Rice Pyramid, Nigeria Air, Lagos Brewery, among other projects
The Dangote Refinery:
Nigerians have a long history of suffering from fuel scarcity. The Africa’s largest oil producer is now contending with exorbitant price hikes, adversely affecting economic stability and citizens’ daily lives.
With comatose refineries making the situation worse, many people eagerly welcomed the collaboration between the Federal Government and Dangote to build a new refinery because of its potential to ease their suffering. More recently, the refinery signalled a sort of reprieve from the harsh economic hardship triggered by rising fuel price hikes caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy.
On May 22, 2023, Buhari commissioned Dangote Refinery with promises of transforming the country into a net exporter of petroleum products, and the answer to Nigeria’s recurrent fuel related problems by July 2023 when it was scheduled to commence operations.
But recent disclosures by Dangote group indicate that operations will not commence until 2025.
The Second Niger Bridge:
Construction of the Second Niger Bridge which connects the southeastern and southwestern regions of Nigeria has been anticipated for decades.
Buhari, who virtually commissioned the 1.6km bridge linking Asaba, Delta State, to Onitsha, Anambra State, and other regions in the South-East, said the bridge was one of the critical infrastructures delivered by his administration to fight poverty, promote economic growth and ensure progress for the people.
However, this last-minute commissioning in 2023 is questionable as the pivotal infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion and promoting economic growth is not ready for use by motorists yet.
The Rice Pyramid:
The rice pyramid was commissioned under the former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 with the promise of reduction in the prices of rice in Nigeria. It was one of the biggest agricultural projects in the country. The pyramid was made up of thousands of bags of rice produced locally in various parts of the country.
It aimed at boosting local production, improving the quality of local rice and reducing the cost of importing the product. However, a year after its launch, the project has failed to meet any of the projections.
The rice pyramid is another questionable project commissioned project by Buhari.
Nigerian Air:
The commissioning of Nigerian Air by President Buhari in 2023 was marked as a significant project that would place Nigeria at the forefront of the aviation industry in Africa. It was also hailed as a measure to revive the country’s economy by creating job opportunities and boosting tourism.
However, a few months after its launch, the project has proven to be a scam as there is no evidence of the existence of a national carrier.
The government even went as far as presenting a chartered aircraft from Ethiopian Air to deceive Nigerians that it had delivered on its promise but diligent investigation uncovered the lies.
