Time is a continuum, an endless cyclical movement that alternates between night and day. But humans delineated it into days, weeks, months, and years. So we bade goodbye to 2023, and it has now become history. The year 2024 has commenced.
Today, Nigeria is hobbled by economic stagnation, the rape of her democracy, infrastructural deficit, violent secessionist agitations, technological backwardness, dysfunctional educational system, and comatose healthcare delivery system. And the list of Nigeria’s problems has kept on burgeoning. The stark fact is that our past military rulers and successive political leaders have failed to leapfrog Nigeria into the acme of technological and economic advancement.
In 2023, Nigeria had a lot of troubles. That Nigeria survived those problems should be attributed to providence. For example, the implementation of redesigning the naira notes caused currency scarcity, with calamitous and devastating consequences for us. This increased the economic hardship of Nigerians. Nigerians survived that period of cash crunch, however.
President Bola Tinubu has led Nigeria for seven months, executing policies aimed at remaking Nigeria and ameliorating our economic hardship. Tinubu, who governed Lagos State for eight years and fought for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria, is well-acquainted with Nigeria’s multifarious and hydra-headed problems. Based on his antecedents, he knows how to tackle our country’s many problems.
But has his withdrawal of petrol subsidy shored up our economy? The answer to this question is a categorical no. Millions of unemployed university graduates continue to search for non-existent white-collar jobs. Also, the security challenges facing the nation have not been solved. So it is imperative for Tinubu to rejig our security architecture and think of new ways to tackle the insecurity of lives and property. Recently, the country experienced attacks in Jos, Plateau State that resulted in the death of over 200 people.
It behoves Tinubu to do the right thing so that history will be kind to him. He should consult with his economic team to solve our diverse national and economic problems. Most importantly, our economy must be diversified. Crude oil shouldn’t be the only source of foreign exchange earnings for the government. There should be job opportunities for millions of unemployed Nigerians. Tinubu should address urgently and holistically, too, our problems of epileptic electricity supply and infrastructural rot hindering the country’s quest for industrialisation.
The President should also prioritise achieving national unity, which is a for development. A country embroiled in political turmoil cannot achieve economic and technological feats. The ball is now in his court. Tinubu should make hay while the sun shines.
