A sprawling security crisis, battered economy and unfolding climate disaster have left Nigerians gasping for change.
Muhammadu Buhari, the president, is about to complete two terms in office and the failures of his administration are all too apparent.
His “war on terror” did little to curb the mass terror attacks, kidnappings and banditry that have killed tens of thousands of Nigerians in recent years.
His 2015 election promise to fix the economy now feels bitterly hollow. Inflation has more than doubled, oil production has nearly halved and external debt now sits at $40bn – four times more than what he inherited.
To top it off, the 80-year-old president has spent more than 200 days in London receiving medical treatment.
The election next month could not come at a better time.
More than 93 million people have registered to vote on 25 February and almost 40% are under the age of 35.
On polling day, voters will have six hours to get in line, cast their ballot and secure their leadership for the next four years.
Bola Tinubu, 70, the “godfather of Lagos” and former state governor, is the candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress party.
The candidate for the opposition People’s Democratic Party is Atiku Abubakar, 74, a former vice-president. The two are locked in a bitter brawl, calling for each other’s arrest and disqualification over allegations of corruption and criminal activity.
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Leading in the opinion polls, however, is Peter Obi, 61, of the lesser known Labour Party, who was relatively unknown until a few months ago.
The former banker lacks the name recognition of the other two but has inspired young voters with a platform of accountability and economic rehabilitation.
It is the same appetite for change and honesty that propelled unconventional candidate Mr Buhari to the presidency in 2015, with the support of the “kingmaker” Mr Tinubu. But many were left disappointed.
Whoever wins will have more to contend with than just Mr Buhari’s poor governance. Last year, widespread flooding killed at least 600 people and destroyed agricultural output in the country’s food basket. More than 19 million people are now facing food insecurity from the devastating floods alone.
Environmental degradation and violent clashes over land between herders and farmers in northern and central Nigeria have displaced 4.4 million people.
Climate change will affect more and more people as the country’s population continues to surge. If trends continue, Nigeria will become the third most populous nation in the world by 2050 and its largest city, Lagos, could be underwater as sea levels rise.
It is a tall order for the next political leader of the continent’s biggest demographic.
Mr Obi’s hopeful campaign may deliver a win but Mr Tinubu’s influence over governors in a federal electoral system could easily stop him in his tracks.
One thing is for sure – Nigeria’s next president has the Herculean task of healing Africa’s giant.
