Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

A Conversation with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

Reflections on the State of Democracy in Nigeria

Date: Friday, December 16, 2022 / Time: 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST

Center: Africa Center

Read the event coverage
Share This
Print the Page

Nigeria’s Electoral Act of 2022 has set the stage for elections this coming February that could either strengthen or set back its democracy. This new electoral framework — combined with an energized electorate and a competitive race — present an opportunity for a free and fair process that ushers in a democratic renewal for the country. But growing insecurity, disinformation and political exclusion remain a threat to this process, underscoring the urgency of providing Nigeria’s election administration authority with the domestic and international political backing it needs to ensure its own independence from politics, as well as the safety and credibility of the coming polls.

And as the largest democracy in Africa, the regional stakes of Nigeria’s upcoming elections are just as high. Peaceful and credible elections would go far in shaping not only the democratic trajectory of Nigeria, but the entire African continent. Current Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has made this issue a priority as he approaches the end of his second and final term in office, affirming his desire to not just sustain Nigeria’s longest period of uninterrupted democracy at the polls this February, but to see it revitalized.

On December 16, USIP, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems held an in-person conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. The discussion reflected on the legacy of his administration, his leadership in bringing the Electoral Act of 2022 into fruition and his promise to leave a legacy of credible elections in which the Nigerian people will be free to choose their leaders.

Continue the conversation on Twitter using #BuhariDC.

Speakers

Lise Grande, opening remarks
President and CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace

His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari
President of Nigeria

Ambassador Johnnie Carson, moderator
Senior Advisor, U.S. Institute of Peace 

Related Publications

The Latest: Three Things to Know About the U.S.-Africa Security Partnership

The Latest: Three Things to Know About the U.S.-Africa Security Partnership

Thursday, June 22, 2023

By: Ambassador Makila James;  Oluwafemi Gbadebo;  Stanley Makgohlo

USIP’s African Diplomat Seminar offers newly arrived diplomats a chance to connect with the U.S. policymakers, agencies and departments working on advancing U.S.-Africa policy. Stanley Makgohlo, political counselor at the South African Embassy, and Oluwafemi Gbadebo, minister in the Nigerian Embassy, discuss how the seminar has helped their work at the nexus of peace and development and how the growing U.S.-Africa partnership can help address the challenges facing their country.

Type: Blog

Global Policy

Disengaging and Reintegrating Violent Extremists in Conflict Zones

Disengaging and Reintegrating Violent Extremists in Conflict Zones

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

By: Andrew Glazzard

Dealing with people who leave violent extremist groups has become one of the most pressing security issues of our time. Drawing on new primary research conducted by the author in Iraq, Syria, and Nigeria, and existing research on disengagement and reintegration, this report underscores the challenges of administering rehabilitation programs in conditions of chronic insecurity—and of doing so at a scale sufficient to make a difference to hundreds or even thousands of people in short order.

Type: Peaceworks

Violent Extremism

After Nigeria’s Elections: Nurturing the Seeds of Better Democracy

After Nigeria’s Elections: Nurturing the Seeds of Better Democracy

Thursday, April 13, 2023

By: Chris Kwaja

Nigeria’s latest elections heighten the country’s need for a reset of its democracy. Nigeria’s two dominant parties abandoned an informal pact that has rotated power between north and south, papering over the deeper, wider problem of ensuring real political inclusion among Nigeria’s disparate regions and communities. The recent national and state-level votes failed to deliver anguished Nigerians the promise of wider voter participation and transparent election results. Still, the campaigns and voting contained seeds for critical change that now must be cultivated by Nigeria’s newly elected government; its courageous, pro-democracy civil society; its vast, energized youth population; and its partners.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & Governance

Nigeria’s Vote Signals Risks: How Its Partners Can Support Democracy

Nigeria’s Vote Signals Risks: How Its Partners Can Support Democracy

Thursday, March 9, 2023

By: James Rupert

Nigeria’s disputed election 12 days ago is raising protest at home and concern abroad over its implications for the strength of democracy in that country and across Africa. Yesterday’s new wrinkle was the postponement of this week’s planned election for Nigerian state governors. Nigeria’s electoral commission is working to fix problems in a vote management system that failed to transparently process and report a result on February 25. An erosion of democracy’s credibility in Africa’s most populous nation would be catastrophic.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & Governance;  Electoral Violence

View All Publications