List of Nigerian heads of state by age

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This is a list of heads of state of Nigeria by age.

Contents

Overview

The youngest person to become head of state was Yakubu Gowon, who at the age of 31, assumed office after the assassination of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi during the July 1966 counter-coup. [1] The youngest civilian head of state to assume the presidency was Goodluck Jonathan, who at the age of 52, succeeded to the office after the death of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, he was also the youngest person elected to the office at the age of 53. The youngest to become head of state by election was Shehu Shagari, who was inaugurated at age 54. The oldest person to assume the presidency was Muhammadu Buhari who was inaugurated at age 72. [2] [3]

Assassinated at age 37, Murtala Muhammed was the youngest head of state at the end of his tenure, and his lifespan was the shortest of any head of state, he was the only head of state not to have lived to the age of 40. [4] At age 40, Yakubu Gowon was the youngest person to become a former head of state. The oldest head of state at the end of his tenure was also Muhammadu Buhari at 80. [5]

Buhari's second retirement of 2 years, 45 days, is the shortest in Nigeria's history, Yakubu Gowon's retirement, now 49 years, is the longest in Nigeria's history. At age 90, Gowon is also the oldest of the six living heads of state. Shehu Shagari who died in 2018 aged 93 is the nation's longest-lived head of state. [6] [7] Three heads of state (Shehu Shagari, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Yakubu Gowon) have lived into their 90s. The youngest living head of state is Goodluck Jonathan, age 67.

List of heads of state by age at assuming office

This is a list of heads of state of Nigeria by age at assuming office from the youngest to the oldest.

NameDate of birthDate of deathDate and age at assuming office
Yakubu Gowon 19 October 1934(living)1 August 1966(1966-08-01) (aged 31)
Murtala Muhammed 8 November 193813 February 197629 July 1975(1975-07-29) (aged 36)
Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937(living)13 February 1976(1976-02-13) (aged 38)
Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 194213 July 202531 December 1983(1983-12-31) (aged 41)
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 3 March 192429 July 196616 January 1966(1966-01-16) (aged 41)
Ibrahim Babangida 17 August 1941(living)27 August 1985(1985-08-27) (aged 44)
Sani Abacha 20 September 19438 June 199817 November 1993(1993-11-17) (aged 50)
Goodluck Jonathan 20 November 1957(living)6 May 2010(2010-05-06) (aged 52)
Shehu Shagari 25 February 192528 December 20181 October 1979(1979-10-01) (aged 54)
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 16 August 19515 May 201029 May 2007(2007-05-29) (aged 55)
Abdulsalami Abubakar 13 June 1942(living)8 June 1998(1998-06-08) (aged 55)
Ernest Shonekan 9 May 193611 January 202226 August 1993(1993-08-26) (aged 57)
Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 190411 May 19961 October 1963(1963-10-01) (aged 58)
Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937(living)29 May 1999(1999-05-29) (aged 62)
Bola Tinubu 29 March 1952(living)29 May 2023(2023-05-29) (aged 71)
Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 194213 July 202529 May 2015(2015-05-29) (aged 72)

List of heads of state by longevity

This table shows heads of state by their longevity (living heads of state in gold).

Rank
Head of state
Date of birth
Date of death
Longevity
(Years, Days)		Longevity
(Days)
1 Shehu Shagari 25 February 192528 December 201893 years, 306 days34,274 days
2 Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 190411 May 199691 years, 177 days33,414 days
3 Yakubu Gowon 19 October 1934Living90 years, 272 days33,145 days
4 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937Living88 years, 135 days32,277 days
5 Ernest Shonekan 9 May 193611 January 202285 years, 247 days31,293 days
6 Ibrahim Babangida 17 August 1941Living83 years, 335 days30,651 days
7 Abdulsalami Abubakar 13 June 1942Living83 years, 35 days30,351 days
8 Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 194213 July 202582 years, 208 days30,159 days
9 Bola Tinubu 29 March 1952Living73 years, 111 days26,774 days
10 Goodluck Jonathan 20 November 1957Living67 years, 240 days24,712 days
11 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 16 August 19515 May 201058 years, 262 days21,447 days
12 Sani Abacha 20 September 19438 June 199854 years, 261 days19,985 days
13 Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 3 March 192429 July 196642 years, 148 days15,488 days
14 Murtala Muhammed 8 November 193813 February 197637 years, 97 days13,611 days
List of heads of state of Nigeria 14
Living6
Deceased8

Nigerian heads of state's ages

This table charts the age of each head of state of Nigeria at the time of assuming office, upon leaving office, and at the time of death. Where the head of state is still living, their lifespan and post head of state timespan are calculated up to 18 July 2025.

#
Head of state
Date of birth
Date of
assuming office		Age at
assuming office
End of
term		Age at
end of
term		Length of
retirement
Date of death
Lifespan
1 Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 19041 October 196358 years, 319 days16 January 196661 years, 61 days30 years, 116 days11 May 199633,414 days (91 years, 177 days)
2 Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 3 March 192416 January 196641 years, 319 days29 July 196642 years, 148 days0 days [a] 29 July 196615,488 days (42 years, 148 days)
3 Yakubu Gowon 19 October 19341 August 196631 years, 286 days29 July 197540 years, 283 days49 years, 354 days(living)33,145 days (90 years, 272 days)
4 Murtala Muhammed 8 November 193829 July 197536 years, 263 days13 February 197637 years, 97 days0 days [a] 13 February 197613,611 days (37 years, 97 days)
5 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 193713 February 197638 years, 345 days1 October 197942 years, 210 days19 years, 240 days [b] (living)32,277 days (88 years, 135 days)
6 Shehu Shagari 25 February 19251 October 197954 years, 218 days31 December 198358 years, 309 days34 years, 362 days28 December 201834,274 days (93 years, 306 days)
7 Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 194231 December 198341 years, 14 days27 August 198542 years, 253 days29 years, 275 days [c] 13 July 202530,159 days (82 years, 208 days)
8 Ibrahim Babangida 17 August 194127 August 198544 years, 10 days26 August 199352 years, 9 days31 years, 326 days(living)30,651 days (83 years, 335 days)
9 Ernest Shonekan 9 May 193626 August 199357 years, 109 days17 November 199357 years, 192 days28 years, 55 days11 January 202231,293 days (85 years, 247 days)
10 Sani Abacha 20 September 194317 November 199350 years, 58 days8 June 199854 years, 261 days0 days [a] 8 June 199819,985 days (54 years, 261 days)
11 Abdulsalami Abubakar 13 June 19428 June 199855 years, 360 days29 May 199956 years, 350 days26 years, 50 days(living)30,351 days (83 years, 35 days)
12 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 193729 May 199962 years, 85 days29 May 200770 years, 85 days18 years, 50 days [d] (living)32,277 days (88 years, 135 days)
13 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 16 August 195129 May 200755 years, 286 days5 May 201058 years, 262 days0 days [a] 5 May 201021,447 days (58 years, 262 days)
14 Goodluck Jonathan 20 November 19576 May 201052 years, 167 days29 May 201557 years, 190 days10 years, 50 days(living)24,712 days (67 years, 240 days)
15 Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 194229 May 201572 years, 163 days29 May 202380 years, 163 days2 years, 45 days [e] 13 July 202530,159 days (82 years, 208 days)
16 Bola Tinubu 29 March 195229 May 202371 years, 61 days(incumbent)(incumbent)(incumbent)(living)26,774 days (73 years, 111 days)
#Head of stateDate of birthDate of
assuming office		Age at
assuming office		End of
term		Age at
end of
term		Length of
retirement		Date of deathLifespan

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Died in office
  2. ↑ Obasanjo was head of state for two non-consecutive periods; this is his first post-head of state retirement, between the end of his military tenure in 1979 and his inauguration in 1999.
  3. ↑ Buhari was head of state for two non-consecutive periods; this is his first post-head of state retirement, between the end of his military tenure in 1985 and his inauguration in 2015.
  4. ↑ Obasanjo was head of state for two non-consecutive periods; this is his post-presidential retirement, after his second period in office (1999–2007).
  5. ↑ Buhari was head of state for two non-consecutive periods; this is his post-presidential retirement, after his second period in office (2015–2023).

Graphical representation

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of heads of state of Nigeria. They are listed in order of first assuming office.

Bola TinubuGoodluck JonathanUmaru Musa Yar'AduaAbdulsalami AbubakarSani AbachaErnest ShonekanIbrahim BabangidaMuhammadu BuhariShehu ShagariOlusegun ObasanjoMurtala MuhammedYakubu GowonJohnson Aguiyi-IronsiNnamdi AzikiweList of Nigerian heads of state by age

References

  1. ↑ "I felt petrified when I emerged Head of State – Gowon". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Nigeria's President Buhari promises change at inauguration". BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "Historic succession complete as Buhari is sworn in as the president of Nigeria". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "50 Interesting Facts about Murtala Muhammed". HistoryVille. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "Historic succession complete as Buhari is sworn in as the president of Nigeria". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Ex-President Shehu Shagari dies at 93". Punch News. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  7. ↑ "Shehu Shagari, Nigerian President During '80s Oil Crisis, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
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