As the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2026, Nigerians across the nation exchanged the traditional New Year pleasantries. However, beneath the surface of these hopeful greetings lies a profound and collective anxiety for the state of the nation. While wishing each other well, it is imperative to extend that same earnest hope to Nigeria itself. The reality, evident to all, is that the country is grappling with severe challenges that demand immediate and focused attention in the coming year.
A Nation Under Siege: The Multi-Faceted Insecurity Crisis
The year 2025 was brutally defined by a terrifying escalation of insecurity that spared no region. The narrative often simplistically attributes this violence to religious extremism alone. While this is a significant factor, it is not the sole explanation for the tragedy unfolding across Nigeria.
In the northeast, the Boko Haram insurgency continues to distort the teachings of Islam, with radical jihadists inflicting terror on both Christians and Muslims who reject their ideology. Beyond this, the landscape of violence is complex: bandits, now officially designated as terrorists, wreak havoc in the northwest; persistent herder-farmer conflicts destabilize the Middle Belt; separatist agitations simmer in the southeast; and kidnappers operate with brazen impunity in the southwest.
The consequences are devastating. Schoolchildren, farmers, travellers, and worshippers have become the primary targets, living in constant fear. It is crucial to acknowledge that while religion is a major factor where terrorists exploit its name, other powerful forces fuel the crisis. These include the weaponization of ethnic and religious differences for political gain, a constitutional framework too weak to manage the nation's diversity, and the cynical manipulation of identity politics solely for electoral advantage. Anyone seeking lasting solutions must confront these non-religious drivers of instability.
Leadership Failure and National Humiliation
The year 2025 was not merely one of injury for Nigeria but also of profound insult and humiliation. The nation's political elite compounded the physical insecurity with a disgraceful display of self-serving conduct. As children were abducted from schools, the political class was engrossed in a shameless game of musical chairs, migrating between political parties and signaling a dangerous drift towards a de facto one-party state.
This prioritization of 2027 electoral calculations over the urgent needs of 2025 revealed a catastrophic failure of leadership. By pursuing power without principle, these elites have turned Nigeria into a byword for dysfunction. The country is now trapped between indigenous exploiters and foreign interests, with the welfare of ordinary Nigerians sidelined. Furthermore, the unbearable cost of living has crushed purchasing power, driving a desperate youth exodus to nations with increasingly hostile immigration policies.
The 2026 Imperative: Ethical Politics and Credible Elections
Given the bitter experiences of 2025, the task for Nigerians in 2026 is clear and monumental: to chart a different course. As the year preceding the 2027 general elections, the temptation for political actors to descend further into incivility and divisiveness will be strong. The fundamental question is whether the elite will demonstrate patriotism by focusing on governance rather than on schemes to return to power.
Nigeria desperately needs leaders who love the country more than their ambition, who will refrain from divisive rhetoric and call their supporters to order. The paramount priority for 2026 must be to lay the groundwork for a transparent and credible electoral process in 2027. This requires:
- Far-reaching amendments to the electoral law.
- Zero tolerance for the charade of manipulated party primaries.
- Stiff punishment for vote-buying and the subversion of parties from within.
- A campaign season focused on the exchange of ideas, not insults.
A lawless electoral process only produces leaders lacking the moral authority to govern or effectively combat insecurity. Therefore, Nigeria's core priority in 2026 is the creation of a new political ethos, where politics is practiced as an ethical project for the benefit of all citizens.
