NGScorecard

To complete the transition timetable inherited from Murtala Mohammed and return power to elected civilians on the announced date.

Delivered exactly. A draft constitution was published in October 1976, debated by a Constituent Assembly from 1977, and promulgated with amendments in 1978; the ban on parties was lifted; elections were held in July–August 1979; and on 1 October 1979 Obasanjo handed power to Shehu Shagari — the first military-to-civilian handover in Nigeria's history.

To end land hoarding and speculation by bringing all land under public control.

The Land Use Decree of March 1978 vested all land in each state in the governor, to be held in trust and allocated by right of occupancy. It stopped freehold speculation and remains in force (entrenched in the constitution), though it also concentrated enormous discretionary power in governors and made land title slow and politicised — a trade-off still debated.

Launched Operation Feed the Nation in May 1976 to revive small-scale farming — students paid to farm in the holidays, subsidised fertiliser, duty-free feed and implements, easier farm credit.

The scheme raised the profile of agriculture and delivered inputs, but it did not reverse the decline in food self-sufficiency or the rise in food imports, and was wound down after the handover.

The Universal Primary Education scheme of 1976 offered free primary schooling nationwide.

Free-primary enrolment roughly doubled — from about 6 million in 1975/76 to 12.5 million by 1979/80 — a major expansion of access. But the system was overwhelmed: acute shortages of trained teachers, classrooms and materials meant quality fell sharply and many of the new places were nominal.