Change. It was the word printed on Nigerian billboards, shouted at rallies and uttered in greeting among supporters of Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress party. Nigeria’s election may have ended with a winner and a loser, but it was more about the process than the candidates. And there, great gains were made. For the first time in the country’s short electoral history, an incumbent lost. By holding a politician accountable, Nigerians have made it more likely that their leaders will be responsive in the future. President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari can build on this progress by appointing a cabinet that reflects Nigeria’s ethnic diversity, making good on his reputation as an anti-corruption crusader, and providing quick signals about economic policy to shore up his credibility with investors.


Now comes the hard part: making good on promises he made on the campaign trail.

The president-elect's slogan was a powerful rhetorical tool, a striking alternative to Jonathan’s appeal to continue his “transformation agenda,” political commentator Chris Ngwodo said.

"There was no doubt about the argument for change, in terms of juxtaposing the incumbent president with the president-elect," Ngwodo said. "… Buhari certainly represented a departure from him" in style, substance "and in temperament as well."

Cabinet appointing

The parties that merged to form APC are the Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressive Change. Buhari has been head of state before, as a military dictator from December 1983 to August 1985. He won praise then for appointing a cabinet of technocrats, but that was a different time. Under the current constitution, Buhari must appoint a minister from each of the 36 states, and there are plenty of state governors and party lieutenants that he will need to reward for their loyalty and campaign efforts.

Time to follow through

Now he has to deliver. Buhari’s promises include an end to the Boko Haram insurgency, which has ravaged the country’s northeast in its quest to impose strict Islamic law. He also campaigned on cutting down corruption and implementing universal healthcare.

But when he takes office in May, Buhari will inherit a government that is borrowing to pay its bills and still has not passed a 2015 budget. Chuba Ezekwesili, a research analyst at the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, said promises of spending on social programs, such as universal health care, may end up on the back burner.

Ezekwesili said most of Nigeria’s budget goes toward "recurrent expenditure," covering salaries and expenses but not capital costs. "If we’re already at the point where we’re borrowing money from the World Bank to pay for the 2015 salary," he added, "then it shows that we are in a dire situation."

Boko Haram a priority

Much of Buhari’s campaign centered on snuffing out Boko Haram, but the militant group is perhaps at its lowest point in years. Over the past few weeks, the Nigerian military, with help from foreign mercenaries and troops from neighboring countries, has chased the militants out of almost all of the towns they overran in the northeast.

Dawn Dimowo, a Nigeria-based analyst for the Africa Practice consultancy, said it will be up to Buhari to figure out how to put the group down for good.

She said it might mean creating something like the Niger Delta Development Commission, a federal program with a stated goal of regional growth "that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful," as its website says.

Any proposal will have to tackle the social and economic problems fueling the insurgency, Dimowo said. It must “address specific issues in that part of the country … [and] the hostile environment that would allow that kind of radical ideology to foster and develop to the point that this group to be able to take over a part of the country.”

But because cash is short, Dimowo said, tackling those problems may have to wait.

Economic policy

In economic policy, one area in which the Jonathan administration made progress was the privatization of the state’s electricity sector. Power plants and local utility companies have been sold off, but state commitment to regulatory reforms and to facilitating sufficient supply of natural gas to power plants is needed to spur investment. The electricity shortage is one of the country’s chief problems, and Jonathan might have kept his job had the reform process gone faster.

NNPC missing funds

Buhari was known in his military-dictator years for fighting corruption, and in a region that has some experience with that problem, Jonathan’s administration was widely perceived as worse than most. In 2014, former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. of illegally hoarding between $10 billion and $50 billion that should have been sent to the national treasury. That led to an independent audit of the state oil company, but few details of it were ever shared with the public. Buhari will face pressure to share the results as soon as possible and to force change within the company.



Source: argon500
http://www.voanews.com/content/buhari-may-find-it-hard-to-change-nigeria/2704259.html
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/143522/matt-mossman/goodlucks-run-out

No single individual is capable of changing Nigeria.

We all must join hands to change Nigeria and the trigger can only be structural changes. One clear option is implementation of true federalism in this country to promote ingenuity in value creation and healthy competition across the regions.

Until then, am still laughing at the change agents and ignorant Nigerians.

CC OAM4J, Afam4eva, Ikenna351, maclatunji, Seun, lalasticlala

Almighty God Will Assist Him.
Every Orubebes That don't Want Gmb To Rule This Country Well As We Expected May God Jegalized Them.Amen

It is change when Tinubu, Saraki, Amaechi and co are in some courts explaining their monumental acts of corruption. Anything short of this, Nigerians have been scammed again.

Let's see ao it goes

True. Change starts with every Nigerian. We need to educated ourselves more. Our problem is that majority of Nigerians are not properly educated, its not necessarily about bad leadership or corruption. If we can truly embrace personal change and develop ourselves to add positive values to our country, good leadership will naturally come and corruption will reduce.

some nigerians are very gullible and naive, what does Buhari hav to offer us, hw can a sane educated nigerian thinks he/she can

1. stabilize world oil price

2. make N1 = 1 dollar

3. pretend to be corrupt free but has tinubu, obj, shekau as close pals

even an angel of God hu hv not fasted for weeks cant do these things

as for me and my family we know d illiterate has nothing to offer take him serious at ur own peril

my name is taylor86 AKA quote me and die

How?

i believe change occurs gradually , General Buhari is our Moses, Joshua is still coming ..

He will do his best!
Two of the major problems of ds country are bad leadership and corruption.incidentally buahri has been known for his good leadership and stance against corruption which he emphatically stressed during campaign.

Is that wat u think ?


Well I don't think so, going by his past records especially on corruption I think we would experience some changes.

But at the end of the day we shouldn't expect him to transform Nigeria into some Paris-like country during his short stay in office.

But atleast we should try and be optimistic irrespective of our party inclinations.

I pray he does not but he still needs our collective efforts as citizens. Let's all try our best & cooperate with him. By the way, Don't miss out on our Easter Promo price for Mtn Data. Check image or my signature below for more info

...

Let him just start from some where, because I know it will be difficult for him

I'm not aware of anyone that expects him to find it easy to change Nigeria.

The word CHANGE comes with a big responsibility. It is usually easier said than done.

LIAR!!!!!!!!!!
YOU PEOPLE HAVE FAILED. IT MAY NOT BE EASY BUT IT HAS STARTED ALREADY, EVEN THOUGH HE IS YET TO BE SWORN IN.


Kindly double check this for me:
The fear of Buhari is the beginning of. Nigerian systems' sanitation.

1. Nigeria army finds Buhari's certificate;

2. Missing $20b found with Zenith bank;

3. NTA calling GMB masters degree holder;

4. Dezieni visits Abdulsalami;

5. Industrial training funds began payment of outstanding they have been owing students for more than 2yrs;

6. Nig stock market recorded a gain of # 906b , biggest gain in 50yrs;

7. Naira made a gain of #27 against the dollar

8. Numerous filling stations that were padlocked under
the pretext of fuel scarcity suddenly opened gates for business.

The war on corruption and indiscipline has already started....

We will have to wait and see, give him a chance to prove himself.

Ok

Flets:
No single individual is capable of changing Nigeria.

We all must join hands to change Nigeria and the trigger can only be structural changes. One clear option is implementation of true federalism in this country to promote ingenuity in value creation and healthy competition across the regions.

Until then, am still laughing at the change agents and ignorant Nigerians.

U have said it all bro...
@The bolded, let's give them the benefit of doubt and see.

If ur nt a Chosen, pls hurry to b a chosen..

Frm the Lord's Chosen

It will not be a difficult task for GMB, provided the people under him are also committed to effect the change, otherwise it might be very hard for him to do it alone.

With patrotic and passionate mindset
A cabinet full of patriot and intellectuals(which Nigerians are known for)
And a very supportive and Optimistic citizen...

Change is Imminent

Nigeria will survive

God bless Nigeria!!!!

He needs our prayers!

With this he will surely keep to his promise (especially those during his campaign) and will take Nigeria to the promise land too.

Please, where are those hidden prayer warriors, prophetess and prophets on NL?

We need your help quick quick......

It's gonna be hard