2026: A New Year, A New Beginning

Having bid the year 2025 goodbye, many Nigerians might have done so with mixed feelings bordering on realised and unrealised expectations. Indeed, for some it was a year of celebration for achievements recorded, including new births, birthdays, weddings, promotions and appointments, among others. These milestones provided moments of joy and gratitude amid an otherwise turbulent period. But for many others, 2025 was a year that brought sad memories of tragedies such as the death of loved ones, setbacks in jobs and businesses, displacement due to insecurity, as well as other personal and communal misfortunes that tested resilience and faith.

On the national scale, 2025 will also be remembered for both the good and the bad. As usual, government officials at different levels will proudly boast of their achievements and the positive impacts they claim to have made, governance-wise, in the course of the year. It is a season for official scorecards, where policies and programmes are outlined as having been faithfully implemented as conceived, with assurances that the people felt positive impact across key sectors such as health, transportation, education and the economy. In this narrative, infrastructural developments are highlighted as evidence of progress and commitment to national development.

But the story is definitely different for most Nigerians who have had to endure a difficult year characterised by severe economic challenges, widespread insecurity and deep uncertainty about the future. For ordinary citizens, the daily struggle to survive overshadowed policy declarations. Inflation, unemployment, and reduced purchasing power combined to create a climate of hardship that cut across social classes and regions, leaving many households stretched beyond their limits.

It was, therefore, not surprising that Nigerians were only too glad to see 2025 make its exit while eagerly looking forward to a better 2026. Expectations are high that the new year will mark a turning point. Nigerians are particularly looking forward to an end to the insecurity nightmare that haunted them throughout the past year. Their hope in this regard has been raised by the recent bombing of terrorist enclaves in the North by the United States of America, courtesy of President Donald Trump. The Nigerian government should sustain this momentum by working closely with the US government and other partners to permanently put an end to the reign of terrorists and bandits across the country.

With the hardship and suffering endured by Nigerians being largely attributed to the harsh impact of some economic and other policies of the Tinubu administration, the obligation now rests squarely on government to make 2026 a year of relief. Government should therefore come up with policies that must promote the interest and well-being of the citizenry. It should also urgently subject existing ones, including the new tax policy, to critical assessment with the aim of giving their implementation a clear human face. Nigerians need a break from the pain of 2025; such hardship must not be repeated in 2026.

The year 2026 should therefore be one of people-oriented policies, genuine relief, restored hope and responsive governance—nothing else.

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