Buhari is 100 days in office

The 72-year-old celebrates the landmark on Saturday, after taking office on May 29 on a wave of optimism for oil-rich Nigeria, which has Africa’s biggest population and economy but many deep and seemingly intractable problems.

He presented himself to the electorate as a hawk on security and an iron fist on corruption, pledging to recover “mind-boggling” sums of stolen oil money and vowing to crush the six-year Islamist insurgency that has killed at least 15,000 in the northeast.

The press has been largely supportive of Buhari in his first months, criticising his apparent preference for fellow northerners in his early appointments but comparing him favourably with the defeated Goodluck Jonathan, who had ruled since 2010.

“His predecessor spent over (five) years in office and never made half of the impact Buhari has made in three months,” political commentator Lawal Ogienagbon wrote last week in Lagos-based daily The Nation.

Buhari’s vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, has estimated the country’s debts at some $60 billion (54 billion euros) and said Nigeria‘s economy is in its worst state in the country’s 55-year independent history.

Meanwhile Buhari has accused his predecessor of leaving the treasury “virtually empty” as global oil shocks squeezed Nigeria‘s crude-dependent finances, forcing government projects to be scrapped or halted and state employees to go months without pay.