Ex-Nigerian president Buhari, known for his alliance-building with tech giants amidst online protest discouragement, passes away at the age of 82
In the seven-year tenure of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the digital economy experienced significant growth, marked by both advancements and challenges. Buhari passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 82.
During his administration, the ICT sector expanded from 8.5% of GDP in 2015 to 19.54% in Q2 2023. One of the key drivers of this growth was the enhancement of connectivity across the country, with broadband coverage climbing to roughly 46% of the population by Buhari's last year in office. This increase in broadband penetration, which rose from 6% to 46% during Buhari's rule, paved the way for the growth of digital services and the emergence of new businesses.
The Buhari administration also launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy to set the stage for Nigeria's thriving tech ecosystem. The Ministry of Communications was rebranded to include Digital Economy in 2019, recognising the sector's importance. The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) was introduced, implementing over 180 reforms to ease business operations, thereby enhancing Nigeria's standing in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index.
In 2022, the Nigeria Startup Act was signed, providing tax incentives and regulatory clarity to support early-stage tech companies. Additionally, the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, the National Blockchain Policy, and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics were aimed at leveraging emerging technologies.
However, Buhari's administration also faced criticism for imposing strict regulations that impacted digital freedoms and investment confidence. The indefinite suspension of Twitter operations in 2021, for instance, resulted in estimated losses of $26.1 billion in lost business and investment confidence. The central bank's diktats on cryptocurrency trading forced many transactions underground, increasing transaction volumes despite regulatory challenges.
Despite these challenges, significant strides were made in positioning Nigeria for future digital growth. Under Buhari's rule, six cities welcomed Africa's first multi-operator 5G rollout, and Nigeria launched 4G nationwide and leapt into 5G, auctioning spectrum that put the country at the forefront of Africa's high-speed mobile internet rollout.
The Buhari administration also undertook a massive campaign to register every phone user's identity, linking SIM cards to a national ID number. Over 150 million mobile lines were linked to a national ID scheme during Buhari's administration.
Venture capital rocketed from $70 million in 2015 to over $1 billion in 2022 under Buhari's rule. Nigeria minted several technology unicorns, including Flutterwave, OPay, Interswitch, and Andela. Fintechs like OPay, PalmPay, and Moniepoint became the main alternatives to banks for money transfer and bill payments during a nationwide cash crunch in 2023.
Two new subsea cables tripled bandwidth during Buhari's rule, and the ICT sector was growing faster than any other under his rule by Q1 2021. However, Amnesty International put the Lekki Toll Gate death toll at least 12 during the #EndSARS protests under Buhari's rule.
In conclusion, Buhari's policies transformed Nigeria's digital economy by driving connectivity, startup creation, and digital finance. Despite the challenges posed by strict regulations, significant strides were made in positioning Nigeria for future digital growth.
- The growth of the digital economy during Buhari's tenure was significantly driven by the enhancement of connectivity, with broadband coverage reaching approximately 46% of the population.
- The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy was launched by the Buhari administration to set the stage for Nigeria's thriving tech ecosystem.
- In 2022, the Nigeria Startup Act was signed, aiming to provide tax incentives and regulatory clarity to support early-stage tech companies.
- Despite the suspension of Twitter operations and the central bank's diktats on cryptocurrency trading, significant strides were made in positioning Nigeria for future digital growth.
- Six cities welcomed Africa's first multi-operator 5G rollout, and Nigeria launched 4G nationwide and leapt into 5G during Buhari's rule.
- The Buhari administration undertook a massive campaign to register every phone user's identity, linking SIM cards to a national ID number.
- Venture capital rocketed from $70 million in 2015 to over $1 billion in 2022, with Nigeria minting several technology unicorns during Buhari's rule.
- Fintechs became the main alternatives to banks for money transfer and bill payments, particularly during a nationwide cash crunch in 2023, demonstrating the impact of digital innovation on finance and business in Nigeria.
