List of Nigerian heads of state by age

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

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, now 143 days, is currently the shortest, Yakubu Gowon's retirement, now 48 years, is the longest in Nigeria's history. At age 89, Gowon is also the oldest living head of state. Shehu Shagari who died in 2018 aged 93 is the nation's longest-lived head of state.[6][7] Only two heads of state (Shehu Shagari and Nnamdi Azikiwe) have lived into their 90s. The youngest living head of state is Goodluck Jonathan, age 65.

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.

Name Date of birth Date of death Date and age at assuming office
Yakubu Gowon 19 October 1934 (living) 1 August 1966(1966-08-01) (aged 31)
Murtala Muhammed 8 November 1938 13 February 1976 29 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 1942 (living) 31 December 1983(1983-12-31) (aged 41)
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 3 March 1924 29 July 1966 16 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 1943 8 June 1998 17 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 1925 28 December 2018 1 October 1979(1979-10-01) (aged 54)
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 16 August 1951 5 May 2010 29 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 1936 11 January 2022 26 August 1993(1993-08-26) (aged 57)
Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 1904 11 May 1996 1 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 1942 (living) 29 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)
1Shehu Shagari25 February 192528 December 201893 years, 306 days34,274 days
2Nnamdi Azikiwe16 November 190411 May 199691 years, 177 days33,414 days
3Yakubu Gowon19 October 1934Living89 years, 0 days32,507 days
4Olusegun Obasanjo5 March 1937Living86 years, 228 days31,639 days
5Ernest Shonekan9 May 193611 January 202285 years, 247 days31,293 days
6Ibrahim Babangida17 August 1941Living82 years, 63 days30,013 days
7Abdulsalami Abubakar13 June 1942Living81 years, 128 days29,713 days
8Muhammadu Buhari17 December 1942Living80 years, 306 days29,526 days
9Bola Tinubu29 March 1952Living71 years, 204 days26,136 days
10Goodluck Jonathan20 November 1957Living65 years, 333 days24,074 days
11Umaru Musa Yar'Adua16 August 19515 May 201058 years, 262 days21,447 days
12Sani Abacha20 September 19438 June 199854 years, 261 days19,985 days
13Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi3 March 192429 July 196642 years, 148 days15,488 days
14Murtala Muhammed8 November 193813 February 197637 years, 97 days13,611 days
List of heads of state of Nigeria 14
Living 7
Deceased 7

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 19 October 2023.

#
 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 1904 1 October 1963 (1963-10-01) 58 years, 319 days 16 January 1966 (1966-01-16) 61 years, 61 days 30 years, 116 days 11 May 1996 33,414 days (91 years, 177 days)
2 Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 3 March 1924 16 January 1966 (1966-01-16) 41 years, 319 days 29 July 1966 (1966-07-29) 42 years, 148 days 00,0010 days[lower-alpha 1] 29 July 1966 15,488 days (42 years, 148 days)
3 Yakubu Gowon 19 October 1934 1 August 1966 (1966-08-01) 31 years, 286 days 29 July 1975 (1975-07-29) 40 years, 283 days 48 years, 82 days (living) 32,507 days (89 years, 0 days)
4 Murtala Muhammed 8 November 1938 29 July 1975 (1975-07-29) 36 years, 263 days 13 February 1976 (1976-02-13) 37 years, 97 days 00,0010 days[lower-alpha 1] 13 February 1976 13,611 days (37 years, 97 days)
5 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937 13 February 1976 (1976-02-13) 38 years, 345 days 1 October 1979 (1979-10-01) 42 years, 210 days 19 years, 240 days[lower-alpha 2] (living) 31,639 days (86 years, 228 days)
6 Shehu Shagari 25 February 1925 1 October 1979 (1979-10-01) 54 years, 218 days 31 December 1983 (1983-12-31) 58 years, 309 days 34 years, 362 days 28 December 2018 34,274 days (93 years, 306 days)
7 Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 1942 31 December 1983 (1983-12-31) 41 years, 14 days 27 August 1985 (1985-08-27) 42 years, 253 days 29 years, 275 days[lower-alpha 3] (living) 29,526 days (80 years, 306 days)
8 Ibrahim Babangida 17 August 1941 27 August 1985 (1985-08-27) 44 years, 10 days 26 August 1993 (1993-08-26) 52 years, 9 days 30 years, 54 days (living) 30,013 days (82 years, 63 days)
9 Ernest Shonekan 9 May 1936 26 August 1993 (1993-08-26) 57 years, 109 days 17 November 1993 (1993-11-17) 57 years, 192 days 28 years, 55 days 11 January 2022 31,293 days (85 years, 247 days)
10 Sani Abacha 20 September 1943 17 November 1993 (1993-11-17) 50 years, 58 days 8 June 1998 (1998-06-08) 54 years, 261 days 00,0010 days[lower-alpha 1] 8 June 1998 19,985 days (54 years, 261 days)
11 Abdulsalami Abubakar 13 June 1942 8 June 1998 (1998-06-08) 55 years, 360 days 29 May 1999 (1999-05-29) 56 years, 350 days 24 years, 143 days (living) 29,713 days (81 years, 128 days)
12 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937 29 May 1999 (1999-05-29) 62 years, 85 days 29 May 2007 (2007-05-29) 70 years, 85 days 16 years, 143 days[lower-alpha 4] (living) 31,639 days (86 years, 228 days)
13 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 16 August 1951 29 May 2007 (2007-05-29) 55 years, 286 days 5 May 2010 (2010-05-05) 58 years, 262 days 00,0010 days[lower-alpha 1] 5 May 2010 21,447 days (58 years, 262 days)
14 Goodluck Jonathan 20 November 1957 6 May 2010 (2010-05-06) 52 years, 167 days 29 May 2015 (2015-05-29) 57 years, 190 days 8 years, 143 days (living) 24,074 days (65 years, 333 days)
15 Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 1942 29 May 2015 (2015-05-29) 72 years, 163 days 29 May 2023 (2023-05-29) 80 years, 163 days 143 days[lower-alpha 5] (living) 29,526 days (80 years, 306 days)
16 Bola Tinubu 29 March 1952 29 May 2023 (2023-05-29) 71 years, 61 days (incumbent) (incumbent) (incumbent) (living) 26,136 days (71 years, 204 days)
# 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

Notes
  1. 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).

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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