27 Years After Abacha: The Nigeria He Left, the Nigeria We Got
By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | June 8, 2025
On June 8, 1998, Nigeria’s military ruler, General Sani Abacha, died suddenly in office, marking the end of one of the most controversial regimes in the country's history. That day, foreign powers including the United States and the United Kingdom openly celebrated, joined by sections of Nigeria’s elite who saw his death as an opportunity for democratic rebirth.
They toasted to what was hailed as the fall of a dictator and the rise of a new Nigeria. The narrative was clear: Abacha was the problem. Remove him, and paradise would follow. But 27 years later, many Nigerians are asking: was that promise fulfilled, or was it a costly illusion?
Rising Costs, Fading Dreams
During Abacha’s tenure, a mudu of rice was affordable to the common man, a “dorica” tin of rice or beans sold for N45, and a loaf of bread that cost N20 could satisfy an entire household. The naira, though not strong, had purchasing power. Even the N5 note carried meaning and dignity.
Today, that same N5 is a symbol of inflation and economic failure. Bread is beyond the reach of many, and basic commodities are now luxuries to millions. Critics argue that while Abacha ruled with an iron fist, his economic policies protected the masses in ways that subsequent administrations have failed to replicate.
Leadership, Not Currency, Collapsed
Abacha famously resisted pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), rejecting foreign loans and structural adjustment programmes that critics claim now define Nigeria’s economic slavery. His refusal to devalue the naira was seen as nationalism; post-Abacha regimes, on the other hand, embraced foreign dictates, resulting in heavy taxation, rising debts, and a plunging currency.
Security Crisis: From Stability to Survival
One of the starkest contrasts in the post-Abacha era is the state of national security. Where Abacha’s rule maintained a strong internal grip—often criticised as draconian—today’s Nigeria faces an epidemic of insecurity. Over 7 million citizens now live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the country. More than 5,000 villages have fallen to terrorists and armed bandits.
Kidnapping has become a daily threat, affecting both the poor and the powerful. Rural communities live in fear. Farmers abandon their lands. Entire regions are now under the influence of non-state actors, from Boko Haram in the Northeast to bandits in the Northwest.
A Complex Legacy
Abacha’s legacy remains deeply polarising. To many Nigerians, he was a dictator who trampled on civil liberties and hoarded state wealth. To others, particularly those reflecting on rising poverty and insecurity today, he is remembered as a shield — an authoritarian who at least kept the country functional for the average person.
Twenty-seven years later, Nigeria is still grappling with that legacy — and the uncomfortable question it raises: Was Abacha the problem, or was he a symptom of something deeper that still plagues the nation today?
As the nation marks the anniversary of his passing, the debate over General Sani Abacha's place in history is far from settled — but for many citizens now living through daily hardship, the nostalgia grows stronger.
