The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has paid a moving tribute to Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, who died on Sunday at the age of 82 in a London hospital.
During a condolence visit to the Nigeria House in New York on Monday, Mohammed—who previously served in Buhari’s cabinet as Minister of Environment—described the late leader as “a man of unwavering discipline, deep conviction, and steadfast patriotism.”
Signing the condolence register, the UN’s second-highest-ranking official spoke candidly of her long professional association with Buhari, beginning from their days at the Petroleum Trust Fund and later in his administration. “He was a true patriot who believed in his country, believed in his people, and did the best that he could,” she said.
In remarks to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mohammed reflected on Buhari’s leadership style, guided by moral clarity and an insistence on public service as a calling grounded in faith, sincerity and patience. “When we were frustrated, he would remind us that we are serving humanity,” she said. “That we must continue to try to do the best, and we will be judged by our intentions.”
Buhari, a one-time military Head of State turned elected president, was often criticised for his austere style, but Mohammed insisted that behind the stern façade was a leader deeply rooted in a sense of duty to both Nigeria and the African continent.
“This is a deep loss at a time when the world is grappling with moral challenges and a drift in values,” she said. “We will always stand on his shoulders for many reasons.”
She recalled a particularly personal memory involving a UN mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, during which Buhari offered context and insight based on his own experience there as a young military officer. “He reached out to where people were and tried to bring them to where we needed to be,” she said.
The Charge d’Affaires at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Syndoph Endoni, noted that Mohammed’s visit was emblematic of the broad respect Buhari commanded across global diplomatic circles. He praised the late president’s “values of discipline, sacrifice, and nation-first commitment,” adding that these would remain central to his enduring legacy.
Buhari’s death has triggered tributes from across the world, with many remembering a man who, despite his polarising domestic reputation, remained a consistent voice for anti-corruption, regional stability and pan-African solidarity.
