Yes, 2024 has come and gone with it’s good, bad and ugly. No nation develops without looking back on how it started.
Unfortunately it is only in Nigeria that tend to forget her past by forgetting its history, and this is where they got all wrong.
There is always the need to look back to the past to enable one to move forward. It is on the basis of this that this write up has taken a critical look at 2024 and periscoping the Year 2025.
In 2024, this nation witnessed a country which grappled with economic hardship, political uncertainty and social upheaval.
It was a year Nigeria stood at the cross roads and a year that tested the spirit and resolve of her citizens. At a point, the future seems bleak and uncertain. It was indeed harsh, rough and tough but, the people showed remarkable resilience and perseverance.
The year 2024 brought inflation, high unemployment, rising costs of living but, the people were strong. Almost all the households felt the pinch. It was a year Nigerians food inflation rates, rose to close to 40 percent pushing most Nigerians into poverty, where by the National Bureau of Statistics reports, said that over 70 million Nigerians faced food insecurity. Same year, the exchange rate rose by more than 60 percent.
Yet, with this and other challenges, the Nigerian people showed a remarkable resilience and determination to survive. This was a year where essential commodities such as rice, maize and garri tripled in price within months. Also the petrol price fluctuated to all time high which severely impacted on transportation and logistics. Even a sachet, popularly called pure water was beyond reach. The year also brought political tensions and contentions in Rivers ,Edo and Ondo to mention a few. The National Anthem was changed and the Tax Reform Bill is in the making.
Poverty and Hunger became the order of the day resulting in three major stampedes in Ibadan, Abuja and Okija, in Anambra State that led to the death of not less than 60 persons, unemployment among the youths went up especially graduate unemployment where many resorted to menial jobs or leaving the country (JAPA) —looking for greener pastures and this attracted insecurity with more than 1,500 cases of abduction and banditry daily in some states in the country where many Nigerians turned refugees in their own country
As said earlier, 2024 has come and gone for good, the question in all most everybody’s lips is what does 2025 holds for Nigerians. What are their expectations? Life style went to town to find out from a cross -section of the people.
As the new year 2025 roles by, Nigerians are expecting significant achievements in various sectors of the economy. A retired Banker, Jerome Nnoruka, said economically, the country is poised for growth with a focus on diversification particularly in Agriculture, technology and manufacturing. He said that the government aims to reduce reliance on oil revenues and attract foreign direct investment.
In terms of Infrastructures, he said Nigerians can expect improvement in transportation, energy and urban developments and that the government plans to complete ongoing projects like the Lagos –Ibadan railway and the second Niger Bridge. According to him, the digital economy is also expected to thrive and that the roll out of 5G technology by the Nigerian Communication Commission will enhance connectivity and facilitate innovations.
Further more, he stated that Nigerians are hoping for improved governance with the new administration prioritizing transparency, accountability and inclusivity with the Civil Society groups, youths movement is expected to play a more prominent role in holding leaders accountable.
However, economists in tertiary institutions have expressed concerns about the country’s 2025 budget, citing potential drop in oil prices and a high budget deficit.
A Deltan, Sunday Uzi, said that Deltans like many other states are expecting significant advancement in various sectors in 2025 .
He said that Deltans should expect growth in non oil sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and technology and that this could lead to increased job opportunities and economic empowerment.
He stated that the government has promised to improve infrastructure including roads, bridges and public transportation in the state and as such, Deltans should expect to see upgrades in these areas, thus making travel and commerce easier.
He also said that they should expect to see improvements in areas like healthcare, education and finance.
Uzi said that as Nigerians focuses on renewable energy that Deltans can expect to see initiatives promoting sustainable practices
With the improved administration prioritizing transparency and accountability, Deltans expect to see efforts in the improvement of public services and enhanced citizen engagement
Generally, many people however are optimistic that 2025 will be better than 2024. According to our respondents, seven in ten individuals believe that in 2025 there will be an improvement over the previous year. This optimism is fuelled by expectations at economic growth, improved financial stability and a decrease in interest rates.
From the above discussion and conversations, there is definitely hope for Nigeria in 2025, despite the challenges the country faces.
Experts say that there are many opportunities for growth and transformation and that Nigeria has a large and youthful population, a rich natural resources base and a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, which are all key drivers to economic growth.
Truth is that, in terms of economic growth, Nigeria is expected to make rapid growth, then the question is, what is holding the giant nation down? That is the big question.
