Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari GCFR was a Nigerian statesman who served as the first democratically elected executive President of Nigeria during the Second Republic from 1979 to 1983.
Quick Facts
Early Life and Education
Born in Shagari, Sokoto Province, in the Northern Region of British Nigeria (now in present-day Sokoto State), Shehu Shagari was raised in a traditional Islamic household and attended Kaduna College. He began his professional career as a science teacher before transitioning into administration and politics in the late 1940s. During the First Republic, he served in various ministerial roles including Minister of Economic Development, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister of Works and Survey. His early political experience established him as a key figure within the Northern People’s Congress.
Presidency and the Second Republic
In 1979, Shagari emerged as the presidential candidate for the National Party of Nigeria and won the historic election that ended years of military rule. His administration launched the ‘Green Revolution’ to improve agricultural productivity and invested heavily in a national low-cost housing scheme. However, the period was marked by a sharp decline in world oil prices, which severely impacted the Nigerian economy. Despite winning a second term in 1983, his government faced mounting criticism over economic management and administrative corruption.
Coup and Later Years
Shagari’s presidency was cut short on December 31, 1983, by a military coup d’état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari. Following the coup, he was detained for several years but was eventually cleared of personal corruption charges by a judicial panel. In his retirement, he returned to Sokoto where he functioned as a respected elder statesman and advisor to subsequent leaders. He died at the National Hospital in Abuja in 2018 at the age of 93.
Key Works / Related Items
- The Green Revolution Program
- National Housing Scheme
- Beckoned to Serve (Autobiography)
- Uthman Dan Fodio: The Theory and Practice of His Leadership