A Year of Reckoning and Reflection: Nigeria’s 2025 in Review

BY SOLOMON ETUK

A Year of Reckoning and Reflection: Nigeria’s 2025 in Review

Outgoing year 2025 can be characterized as a year that forced Nigeria to confront its systemic fragilities while also revealing the resilience of its people. The arc from the Niger tanker explosion in January to the sacking of the NMDPRA boss in December is not just a chronological sweep, it’s a symbolic journey through the country’s most pressing challenges and its attempts at reform.

The Suleja tragedy in January was more than a horrific accident, it was a mirror held up to our regulatory failures, infrastructural decay, and the desperation that drives citizens to risk their lives for fuel. That explosion, which claimed over a hundred lives, was a national trauma that demanded accountability. Yet, it took nearly a full year before the government made a decisive move by removing the head of the regulatory agency tasked with overseeing petroleum safety. That delay speaks volumes about the inertia within our institutions.

Each month thereafter carried its own weight. The economic tremors from subsidy removal in February and March were felt in every household. Inflation soared, and the cost of living became unbearable for many. The government’s insistence on fiscal discipline clashed with the lived realities of ordinary Nigerians, igniting protests and deepening distrust.

Security crises in April reminded us that banditry and insurgency remain unresolved. Despite military offensives, the cycle of violence persisted, displacing thousands and undermining national cohesion. May’s budgetary standoff between the National Assembly and the executive exposed the fragility of our democratic processes, while June’s floods in Lagos and the Niger Delta highlighted our vulnerability to climate change and the absence of robust environmental planning.

In the second half of the year, Nigeria’s international posture improved. July and August saw diplomatic engagements and tech sector optimism, but the naira’s volatility continued to haunt the economy. September’s labor strikes were a cry for dignity, and October’s tech boom offered a glimpse of what Nigeria could become if innovation is nurtured.

November’s electoral controversies reminded us that democracy is still a work in progress. Allegations of vote-buying and irregularities in off-cycle elections showed that reforms are not just necessary, they are urgent.

And then came December. The removal of the NMDPRA boss was a long-awaited gesture of accountability. It was a signal, however belated, that the government recognized the need for reform in the energy sector. But it also raised questions: Why did it take so long? What systemic changes will follow? Will this be a turning point or just another headline?

In my opinion, 2025 was a year of reckoning. It exposed the cracks in our systems but also the courage of our people. From tragedy to reform, from protest to innovation, Nigeria moved through pain and possibility. The challenge now is to ensure that the lessons of this year are not forgotten, that the deaths in Suleja were not in vain, and that the sack in December marks the beginning of a new era of accountability.