By Afolabi Aribigbola

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T  he year 2023 was a year that witnessed serious difficult issues of concern including protracted election crises, contests as well as litigations that accompanied the 2023 general elections that seems to define the position of the country among the comity of nations. Indeed, the year recorded very many negative incidences and occurrences that brought far reaching consequences on the living condition and quality of life of Nigerians and dismal records of performance with relation to security and economy that will linger in the minds of the people for a long time.

 On a positive strand, one need to emphasise that the country witnessed another round of power transition from one civilian government to another, the fifth peaceful transfer of power in the present fourth Republic and creating the longest record of civilian rule in the country. It is commendable and a good development. However, this was accomplished not without embarrassing contest that went far beyond the shores of the country to the chagrin and utter dismay and embarrassment to many urban and discerned Nigerians.Of course, in line with best practices where individuals, societies and even countries take stock at the close of a year and beginning of another year, it is good to take stock of major events especially those that seriously impacted the Nigerian society.

 The essence is to be able to correct the ills of the Nigerian polity towards articulating good programmes and activities that will move the country forward. This is hinged on the realization that without interrogating the events of the past, the future of the country cannot be ascertained or properly created. Also, it is necessary to take stock of events and happenings in the previous year so as not to permit a repeat of the bad events experienced in the past. Nigerians like citizens of most developing societies struggling to cope with the living conditions thrusted on them usually welcome every new year with new hopes and aspirations, believing that the new year will be better than the outgone year. It is on the above basis that we are reviewing the major events that seriously impacted the Nigerian society. One major sector that was crisis ridden in Nigeria in 2023 is the economy.

The economic sector of the country was thrown into unprecedented crisis early in the year with the naira redesign policy of the past administration that made it impossible for Nigerians especially the poor downtrodden people to access cash for their daily activities. This resulted in the inability of many people to transact business, destroying businesses and many people were alledged to have lost their lives because they could not access cash to pay their medical bills and many resulted to trekking to work while buying essential commodities on credit. The economic crisis introduced by the government became worse when the new President in May during his inauguration announced with executive fiat that fuel subsidy has gone.

The instant effect was sporadic increase in petroleum price from about N180 to about N650 per litre. Further economic instability was induced into the economy with the merging of the existing two foreign exchange markets of the black and in the country. This led to rapid fall of the national currency, the naira against other currencies. It also resulted in the escalation of commodity prices and inflation that made it extremely difficult for ordinary Nigerians to eke out a living. Insecurity that has been with the country for some years did not abate as anticipated but increase in scope and dimension in all parts of the country.

The recent brutal killings of over 160 Nigerians in three LGAs in Plateau State on Christmas eve and an undisclosed number of passengers were kidnapped in Cross River State, South-South Nigeria on new year eve according to media reports is an incontrovertible evidence that insecurity is still a serious problem in Nigeria. . On the social service sector, Nigeria did not fare better in the past year as the out of school children population continue to rise. Nigeria has about 20 million children of school age who are out of school according to UNESCO estimate in 2023 and has been made worse by the insecurity that continues to ravage many communities in northern Nigeria leading to the closure of schools. The health sector is in crisis as many of the well-trained medical personnel have relocated from the country elsewhere. Poverty is also on the increase in the country as over 100 million population of the country were classified as poor people in the outgone year.

In short in the outgone 2023, the country appears not have perform well in virtually all sector of her national life. As I argued in the past while it incumbent to interrogate the performance of the country especially as its affect the welfare and prosperity of her citizens, more efforts need to be focused on finding solutions to the seeming intractable multivarious challenges confronting the country. Suffice it to state it is not sufficient to continue to list or bemoan the problems but concrete steps must be taken to get the country out of its present predicament. Therefore, to put the country in proper footing in 2024 and beyond, there is need to begin to seek for good leaders and good governance in the country. Nigerians should begin to stop choosing people with large pockets as leaders at all level.

 The country needs people with the right mindset, discipline and exposure that can take good decisions and stand by it, not persons that want to just make money or name and those that want to legitimize their ill-gotten wealth by seeking and occupying public office. Unfortunately, such category of people dominates the political landscape of the country. Many industries that have been contributing to the economy of the country have been known to relocate from the country. Efforts needed to be made to bring back to the country to improve the productive capacity of the country.

A situation where the country population depends wholly on goods produced from other countries, her economic problem will persist as the case with Nigeria at present. Since most criminal attacks and activities have been adduced to battle for survival and exacerbated by poverty and unequal access to social benefits, government at all levels must find solutions to huge poverty level among Nigerians. Also since most of the economic crisis of the out gone years were instigated by government pronouncements and policy actions, the need for governments to retool and repackage their policies to redress the appalling economic situation in the country become inevitable prior to implementation. It not good to announce and implement policies without first determining and interpose their intended and unintended consequences and outcomes.

The government should embrace pro poor policies to support the poor and vulnerable that are large in number in the country. They should not rely entirely on the capitalist tendencies of World Bank and IMF that encourage subsidy removal in developing societies only to support them in developed countries to support their vulnerable population. There is no society that does not support the poor through subsidies and social support programmes.