As Nigerians exchange New Year 2026 greetings, it’s clear that wishing each other well is easier than wishing Nigeria well. The truth is stark: all is not well with the nation’s governance. If 2025 taught us anything, it is that identifying and prioritising the country’s real challenges is more urgent than ever.
Last year was marked by widespread insecurity. While some blame religion alone, the reality is more complex. Boko Haram’s terror in the northeast is a perversion of Islam, targeting both Christians and Muslims who reject their ideology. Across the country, bandits in the northwest, herder-farmer conflicts in the Middle Belt, separatist agitation in the southeast, and kidnappings in the southwest paint a grim picture: Nigeria has become a battlefield, and its citizens—students, farmers, travellers, worshippers—bear the brunt.
Religion plays a role, but it is not the only factor. Political opportunism, ethnic manipulation, weak institutions, and exploitation of diversity for personal gain all fuel insecurity. Any lasting solution must confront these realities.
2025 was also a year of national humiliation. Foreign critics and domestic leaders alike exposed Nigeria’s vulnerabilities. While children were kidnapped from schools, the political elite flitted from party to party, prioritising their 2027 ambitions over the nation’s 2025 crises. This moral failure has left Nigeria sandwiched between exploiters and internal mismanagement.
Economic hardship compounded these woes. Despite reassuring statements from government circles, Nigerians faced soaring costs of living and diminishing purchasing power. Many young people, seeking better opportunities, now eye migration—even to countries increasingly hostile to African immigrants.
2026 presents a crucial opportunity. As the year before an election, it will test whether political elites can act patriotically, prioritising the state over personal ambition. Nigeria needs leaders who love the country, practice decency, avoid divisive rhetoric, and restrain supporters from actions that threaten peace and unity.
For citizens, 2026 is the year to prepare for transparent, credible elections in 2027. Electoral reforms are urgent: fair party primaries, zero tolerance for vote-buying, and measures to prevent one party from sabotaging another are essential. Only through such a moral and political commitment can Nigeria hope to see a campaign season where ideas, not insults, dominate the debate.
Elections that lack transparency produce leaders ill-equipped to tackle insecurity and govern effectively. Nigeria’s priority in 2026 must be clear: build a new political culture where both leaders and citizens engage in politics as an ethical project. Only then can we create a Nigeria that reflects the will and hopes of its people.
