Tinubu awards over 1,000 national honours in three years

President Bola Tinubu has conferred no fewer than 1,062 national honours on Nigerians and foreign nationals—both living and posthumous—within nearly three years of his administration, according to findings.

The figure surpasses the total number of honours awarded by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, throughout his eight-year tenure, and is more than triple the 304 recipients decorated by former President Goodluck Jonathan during his 2014 investiture.

A significant portion of Tinubu’s honours was approved on October 9, 2025, when the National Council of State met at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. The council ratified recommendations from the National Honours Award Committee for 2024 and 2025, covering a combined 959 recipients.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr Emanso Umobong, the committee—chaired by Justice Sidi Bage—screened over 5,000 nominations, recommending 824 individuals for regular honours and 135 for special presidential recognition.

Beyond the official list, Tinubu has also conferred honours independently. On February 13, 2024, he decorated members of Nigeria’s Super Eagles with the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) after their silver medal finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside housing and land allocations in Abuja facilitated through FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

In March 2024, the President honoured 17 soldiers killed in Delta State, offering national awards, housing support for their families, scholarships for their children, and prompt payment of death benefits.

Further recognitions included a posthumous Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) award to former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, in November 2024, and a gallantry award to Brig. Gen. Musa Uba during the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

On Democracy Day, June 12, 2025, Tinubu announced honours for over 80 pro-democracy figures. Recipients included Wole Soyinka, the late Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, Bishop Matthew Kukah, Femi Falana, and veteran journalist Sam Amuka-Pemu. Some were also granted presidential pardons.

The President has equally extended honours to international figures. In November 2024, he awarded India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). In June 2025, Bill Gates received the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for his contributions to health and development in Nigeria.

One of the more controversial recognitions came in January 2026, when Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury was awarded the GCON on his 80th birthday without a formal public announcement. The Presidency later confirmed the honour, citing his contributions to Nigeria’s economy and hospitality sector.

By comparison, Buhari’s only major investiture in October 2022 saw 447 recipients honoured, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Amina Mohammed, and music star Burna Boy. Jonathan’s 2014 ceremony honoured 304 individuals, while earlier administrations recorded smaller or less frequent conferments.

Nigeria’s national honours system, established by law in 1964, is overseen by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. It remains one of the country’s highest forms of recognition, with the President serving as the sole awarding authority.

In total, more than 6,400 individuals have received national honours since the system’s inception.