Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has paid glowing tribute to late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a statesman of “unimpeachable integrity” whose leadership elevated Nigeria’s standing on the global stage and strengthened the country’s fight against insecurity, corruption and economic challenges.
Speaking on Monday at the one-year remembrance of the late President Buhari, Onyeama reflected on the former leader’s legacy from a foreign policy perspective, saying Buhari’s reputation, discipline and patriotism earned him respect among world leaders and advanced Nigeria’s international interests.
According to Onyeama, Buhari’s previous experience as Nigeria’s military Head of State gave him a strong global profile long before his return as a democratically elected president in 2015.
“He was already a global brand, and his brand was of unimpeachable integrity, uncompromising discipline, absolute fearlessness, and strong patriotism,” Onyeama said.
He noted that beyond his reputation, Buhari’s humility and warm personality endeared him to leaders across the world, making him one of Nigeria’s most respected diplomats by default.
The former minister recalled that immediately after assuming office in 2015, Buhari anchored his administration on three priorities—security, economic recovery and the fight against corruption—which also became the pillars of his foreign policy.
On security, Onyeama said Buhari quickly embarked on diplomatic engagements with Nigeria’s neighbouring countries to build a united regional front against terrorism.
“He immediately visited all the neighbouring countries with the aim of ensuring that they were all on the same page in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
He added that Buhari also strengthened the Multinational Joint Task Force headquartered in N’Djamena, Chad, through substantial financial support.
Onyeama further revealed that Buhari’s international stature helped Nigeria secure the lifting of arms restrictions imposed by some countries, including the United States.
“Thanks to PMB’s stature and the respect he commanded globally, he was able to get those countries to lift the embargo.
“When President Trump was first elected to office, one of the first things he did was to reach out to President Muhammadu Buhari… and then promise President Buhari that the U.S. would lift the arms embargo on Nigeria and supply Nigeria with the much sought-after Super Tucano aircraft. This was of huge military significance,” he stated.
Defending Buhari’s frequent foreign trips, which often attracted criticism, Onyeama said the visits were strategic and instrumental in mobilising global support against terrorism in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
“He was often accused in the media of travelling too much, but these were very important trips that enabled him to build a global coalition against the militant insurgency in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin,” he said.
He credited Buhari with championing African-led security initiatives, including the African Standby Force and the ECOWAS Standby Force, to reduce the continent’s dependence on external military interventions.
Speaking on the economy, Onyeama said Buhari prioritised attracting foreign direct investment while creating an enabling environment for businesses through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
According to him, Buhari personally lobbied global investors during official visits to the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
He recalled Buhari’s meeting with Toyota executives in Japan, where the late president insisted that the automobile giant should establish an assembly plant in Nigeria rather than Ghana because Nigeria represented its biggest market.
“He insisted that since Nigeria would be the destination of most of the products of that plant, it should be sited in Nigeria,” Onyeama said.
He added that although security concerns prevented the investment at the time, Buhari remained committed to attracting foreign investments while protecting Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“For him, a strong agricultural sector is the magic bullet for economic development,” Onyeama noted.
He also recounted Buhari’s refusal to bow to pressure from former United States President Donald Trump to lift restrictions on agricultural imports into Nigeria.
According to Onyeama, Buhari defended his protectionist policy, adding that “we have seen, in Trump’s second term now, that that protectionism that Buhari had is now something that Trump himself has adopted.”
On the anti-corruption campaign, Onyeama described Buhari as a global symbol of integrity whose zero-tolerance stance earned him continental recognition.
“And for this reason, he was nominated the African Union Champion for Corruption,” he said.
He also recalled the 2016 London Anti-Corruption Summit, where then British Prime Minister David Cameron described Nigeria as a “fantastically corrupt country.”
According to Onyeama, the Archbishop of Canterbury immediately defended Buhari’s reputation.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury… immediately said, ‘No, no, no, President Muhammadu Buhari is somebody of unimpeachable integrity,'” he recalled.
Onyeama further praised Buhari’s response when asked whether he expected an apology from Cameron.
“He said, no, that he’s more interested in the United Kingdom returning a lot of the loot from the United Kingdom,” Onyeama said, describing the response as evidence of Buhari’s wit and commitment to asset recovery.
Reflecting on their eight years of working together, Onyeama described the late president as one of Nigeria’s finest leaders.
“The late President Muhammadu Buhari is somebody I worked with very closely for eight years and was the most remarkable human being and one of the true greats that this country has produced.
“We all miss him dearly and also express our sympathies to the family.
“And thank God that he lived this life and ruled this country and was of great service not just to Nigeria but to Africa. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”
