Happy New Year, Nigerians
The New Year 2017 has arrived and Nigerians welcome it with great expectations. The past year had been a very challenging one for this country and for the world and our fervent hope and expectation is that 2017 will usher in improvements in all spheres of our lives. For Nigeria, the top challenge in 2016 […]
The New Year 2017 has arrived and Nigerians welcome it with great expectations. The past year had been a very challenging one for this country and for the world and our fervent hope and expectation is that 2017 will usher in improvements in all spheres of our lives.
For Nigeria, the top challenge in 2016 was the economic recession. At 2016’s beginning the government produced a promising economic package to change the fortunes of the country but with the onset of economic recession when the country recorded a negative growth rate of 2.1%, living standards of most citizens were squeezed. Other difficult things that happened in 2016 included increase in the pump price of petrol from N97 per litre to N145. The naira also fell steeply from around N200 to N490 to the US dollar on the parallel market. The cumulative effect of all these were galloping inflation and decreased purchasing power for most Nigerians. Several poverty reduction and income re distribution schemes of government such as the Youth Empowerment scheme for engaging 500,000 youths did not take off as planned, and when it eventually did the exercise was mired in controversy.
In another vein the government’s anti corruption war enjoyed unusual drama as the Department of State Services (DSS) raided the residences of Supreme Court justices on the basis of allegations of corrupt enrichment against them. The arraignment of some of the apex court justices has eloquently pressed home the resolve of the federal government that nobody in the country can be spared from facing the law if found to be corrupt.
The country also suffered the demise of several national figures among who were Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, the former Sultan of Sokoto and Captain Elechi Amadi, a foremost novelist. On the foreign scene was also the death of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who is the first and only boxer to win the world heavy weight boxing title three times. Another major loss on the international stage was Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro whose demise marked the end of an era in global geopolitics.
However it was not all bad news as a most significant success was recorded in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East where the Nigerian military successfully rescued some of the abducted Chibok girls and thousands of other captives before finally capturing the sect’s operational nerve centre, Camp Zero in the heart of Sambisa forest. Even in the economic sector there was good news as the net inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) exceeded net outflow of investible funds, which indicates a positive view of the country outside its shores, even in the face of its transient travails.
Against the backdrop of the country’s mixed fortunes in 2016, the arrival of 2017 offers it fresh opportunities for addressing short comings and moving to the next level. Among our many hopes are that the military will score more smashing successes against the Boko Haram sect, bring the insurgency to an end and enable millions of Internally Displaced Persons [IDPs] to finally return to their homes. Apart from insurgency, it is also our hope that government will vigorously tackle other episodes of internal insecurity from the Niger Delta militants to the trouble in southern Kaduna State, banditry in the North West, kidnapping and other crimes.
Nigerians also hold very high hopes that the economic recession will end this year. Already there are some bright lights at the end of the tunnel but the government must lead the way by adopting the correct economic policies, passing the budget into law on time and faithfully implementing it, especially the social investment programs that have direct bearing on the people’s welfare. On that note of great optimism, we wish all our countrymen and women Happy New Year.