Aisha Buhari, the wife of Nigeria’s president, has said “we must apologise to Nigerians” as her time as first lady draws to an end.

Speaking to BBC News Pidgin, she said: “People expected so much from us. And maybe, after seven years, we haven’t done to their expectation. Only God knows what is in somebody’s mind…

“So the government… they have really tried. They have done their best, but maybe it is still not the best to others.

“To them, they have done their best… only God knows. So we must apologise to Nigerians. Whether we have met with their expectation or not.”

Mrs Buhari did not clarify in which areas she thinks the Nigerian government could have done a better job.

But President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has faced criticism for failing to bring Islamist violence and armed gangs under control, failing to end corruption and deliver more jobs, as well as carrying out brutal crackdowns on citizen protest movements such as #EndSARS two years ago.

“I’m not into government activities. My own is to support them, either on health or education. I don’t go into details of what they do,” the first lady told the BBC.

“My office, I run it like an NGO – just to receive people.”

As President Buhari prepares to step down after two terms in office, Nigerians are guaranteed a new president when they go to the polls in February next year.