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. 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.
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. 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.
Buhari's second retirement of , is the shortest in Nigeria's history, Yakubu Gowon's retirement, now years, is the longest in Nigeria's history. At age , Gowon is also the oldest of the six living heads of state. Shehu Shagari who died in 2018 aged 93 is the nation's longest-lived head of state. Three heads of state (Shehu Shagari, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Yakubu Gowon) have lived into their 90s. The youngest living head of state is Goodluck Jonathan, age .
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) Murtala Muhammed 8 November 1938 13 February 1976 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937 (living) Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 1942 13 July 2025 Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 3 March 1924 29 July 1966 Ibrahim Babangida 17 August 1941 (living) Sani Abacha 20 September 1943 8 June 1998 Goodluck Jonathan 20 November 1957 (living) Shehu Shagari 25 February 1925 28 December 2018 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 16 August 1951 5 May 2010 Abdulsalami Abubakar 13 June 1942 (living) Ernest Shonekan 9 May 1936 11 January 2022 Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 1904 11 May 1996 Olusegun Obasanjo 5 March 1937 (living) Bola Tinubu 29 March 1952 (living) Muhammadu Buhari 17 December 1942 13 July 2025
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) 1 days 2 Living days 3 days 4 Living days 5 days 6 Living days 7 Living days 8 days 9 Living days 10 Living days 11 days 12 days 13 days 14 days
List of heads of state of Nigeria14Living6Deceased8
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 . # Head of state Date of birth Date of assuming office Age at assuming office End ofterm Age at end ofterm Length ofretirement Date of death Lifespan 1 days () 2 00,0010 days days () 3 (living) days () 4 00,0010 days days () 5 (living) days () 6 days () 7 days () 8 (living) days () 9 days () 10 00,0010 days days () 11 (living) days () 12 (living) days () 13 00,0010 days days () 14 (living) days () 15 days () 16 (incumbent) (incumbent) (incumbent) (living) days () # Head of state Date of birth Date ofassuming office Age atassuming office End ofterm Age at end ofterm Length ofretirement Date of death Lifespan
Notes
Graphical representation This is a graphical lifespan timeline of heads of state of Nigeria. They are listed in order of first assuming office.
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