Mutfwang: Buhari left Nigeria on the brink of collapse before Tinubu took over

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has said President Bola Tinubu inherited a country facing severe economic challenges from the administration of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
The report should distinguish the governor’s assessment from independently established facts, while retaining the political significance of his remarks.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has said President Bola Tinubu inherited Nigeria in a severely weakened condition when he assumed office in May 2023, blaming the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for the country’s economic difficulties.
Mutfwang’s remarks have renewed attention on the economic legacy of the Buhari administration and the challenges confronting the Tinubu government.
The Plateau governor had previously criticised the state of the economy inherited by Tinubu, describing it as worse than the situation Nigeria faced in 1999, when the country returned to democratic rule.
Speaking in Jos in March 2024, during the swearing-in of 22 special advisers and heads of government agencies, Mutfwang said the previous administration had left behind serious economic difficulties.
He alleged that the Federal Government had printed and shared about N30 trillion and sold crude oil yet to be produced in advance.
According to him, these financial decisions contributed to the pressure on the naira and the economic hardship experienced by Nigerians.
The governor also urged political leaders to put aside partisan differences after elections and concentrate on governance and addressing the country’s challenges.
His comments came amid widespread public concerns over rising living costs, inflation and the impact of economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration.
Tinubu, who succeeded Buhari on 29 May 2023, has repeatedly defended his government’s economic policies, describing them as necessary measures to address longstanding structural problems in the Nigerian economy.
In October 2025, the President said his administration inherited a near-collapsed economy, citing decades of fiscal policy distortions and economic mismanagement.