By Adeagbo Halimat Olamide (U19MM1066)
Where Nigeria Stands in 2025
In 2025, Nigeria is walking a difficult path. The government insists it is pushing for progress, but for many citizens, life feels harder than ever. As a student observing this from within, I believe it’s time we question what “reform” really means and who it is meant to serve.
The Economy, Promises vs. Pain
During his May 29, 2023, inauguration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared that “fuel subsidy is gone.” The following month, the Central Bank unified the foreign exchange market, resulting in a sharp devaluation of the naira. These moves were defended as necessary economic corrections.
But in reality, they've come at a steep human cost. By mid-2025, fuel prices had tripled, and food inflation hit 40.66% according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, June 2025 report). Transportation, electricity bills, and even basic household items are now beyond the reach of many.
In response, protests broke out in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and other parts of the country. Civil society groups like the Take It Back Movement and labour unions organized peaceful demonstrations between February and April 2025, demanding economic relief and social protection (TheCable, March 2025). These weren’t just protests, they were cries for help from Nigerians struggling to survive policies that were meant to uplift them.
Politics....The 2027 Race Already On
While citizens face hardship, politicians are busy reshuffling the chessboard ahead of 2027. Parties like the PDP and Labour Party are reportedly forming a coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to present a united front (Premium Times, May 2025).
In a surprise twist, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in April 2025, citing ideological differences with the APC. His move raised deeper questions about what political ideology truly means in Nigeria or whether our leaders are simply switching jerseys in a never-ending game of self-interest.
Institutional Strains...Rivers, the Senate, and the Silence
In March 2025, the federal government declared a state of emergency in Rivers State following violent political clashes between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and loyalists of former Governor Nyesom Wike. The state assembly was dissolved, the governor and his cabinet suspended, and a military administrator appointed (Channels TV, March 20, 2025).
Legal experts and civil rights groups condemned the action as unconstitutional and politically motivated. To many Nigerians, it felt like a return to military-style overreach dressed up as governance.
Meanwhile, the Senate faced its own crisis. In April 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment during a heated plenary session. Rather than launching a formal investigation, the Senate moved swiftly to suspend her for “breach of decorum”. Human rights advocates called it a blatant attempt to silence a whistleblower (Sahara Reporters, April 14, 2025).
Humanitarian Crisis... Hunger and Healthcare
Beyond the corridors of power, ordinary Nigerians are struggling to stay alive.
The Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives reported in March 2025 that over 42,000 nurses have left Nigeria since 2022. A nationwide strike by nurses and midwives disrupted care across major government hospitals in Kaduna, Enugu, and Abuja. Many hospitals are now dangerously understaffed, especially in rural communities (Punch Healthwise, March 2025).
As if that wasn’t enough, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed in a May 2025 report that over 650 children had died from severe acute malnutrition in Katsina State alone within just the first six months of the year. With 31 million Nigerians facing food insecurity, the crisis can no longer be ignored.
We cannot claim to be reforming a nation if its people are starving.
What’s Working.....Glimpses of Progress
There are some bright spots. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700km project launched by the federal government in early 2025, aims to boost trade and logistics across southern Nigeria. The project, though controversial for its environmental impact, offers the promise of connectivity and job creation (The Guardian Nigeria, April 2025).
Nigeria has also deepened strategic ties with countries like India, particularly in education, agriculture, and digital technology. These partnerships reflect a shift toward South-South cooperation, but the benefits are yet to be felt by the average Nigerian.
Progress With People in Mind
True reform is not about graphs, slogans, or infrastructure alone. It’s about people.
If we’re building roads while children die from hunger, then we are not progressing; we are performing. If we silence lawmakers instead of listening to them, we are not strengthening democracy; we are weakening it.
As 2027 draws closer, Nigerians are not just watching; we are hoping. Hoping that one day, reform will mean relief. That leadership will mean listening. And that democracy will mean more than just elections, it will mean dignity, justice, and real progress for all.