2026: A Year Nigeria Cannot Afford To Mismanage

Daily Trust Editorial, January 1, 2026

Today, Nigerians join the rest of the world in welcoming a new year—2026—after bidding farewell to 2025, a year most Nigerians ended with mixed feelings. Unlike the deep despair that characterised the close of 2024, there were cautious signs that the economy had begun to stabilise. Inflation figures showed a gradual decline, food prices eased in several markets, and the intense pressure on household incomes softened, if only marginally. For a population battered by years of economic strain that peaked in 2024 and major parts of 2025, these developments offered a measure of relief and a glimmer of hope.

Yet, as was the case a year earlier, hope remained fragile. Insecurity continued to stalk the nation. This has been undermining confidence in the government and robbing citizens of peace of mind. Across several parts of the country, banditry, terrorism and violent crimes persisted, leaving families displaced and communities traumatised. This reality reinforced a painful truth Nigerians have come to know too well, i.e. if the livelihoods of the people remain unsafe, economic recovery means little or nothing.

Perhaps nothing captured the severity of Nigeria’s security challenge in 2025 more starkly than the reported United States strikes on parts of Sokoto State on Christmas Day. Framed as part of a broader counter-terrorism effort, the operation marked one of the most recent and publicly acknowledged foreign military actions on Nigerian soil. It followed one of the most divisive international campaigns in recent times, which pushed a narrative of religious persecution in Nigeria and dangerously pitched Christians against Muslims.

While many Nigerians hope that such strikes will weaken terrorist networks and criminal gangs, the overriding expectation is that Nigeria’s own government will wake up fully to its responsibilities in 2026. Security is a core duty of the state. It is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the Nigerian state to its citizens. No nation can sustainably rely on foreign intervention without eroding its sovereignty or deepening internal fault lines. What Nigerians desire is not episodic external action, but a coherent, decisive and sustained domestic response to insecurity.

Beyond security, governance remains under scrutiny. As we noted at the start of 2025, Nigerians had endured enormous sacrifices following major policy shifts, including fuel subsidy removal and currency reforms. Those sacrifices have not been forgotten. Governments at all levels must therefore continue to pursue credible strategies that translate policy reforms into tangible improvements in everyday life.

We at Daily Trust believe that one area that will attract significant attention in 2026 is tax reform. The controversies surrounding the gazetted copies of the new tax laws have already generated public unease. Should the government proceed with implementation without resolving these concerns, it risks provoking serious backlash. More importantly, many Nigerians remain unconvinced about the rationale for paying more taxes when governments have consistently failed to meet their own obligations in providing basic infrastructure and social services. Taxation must be anchored in trust, and trust can only be earned through accountability and visible service delivery.

The year 2026 is also politically sensitive. With restrictions expected to be lifted on campaigns and political activities, the country will edge closer to another election cycle. Nigerians rightly expect that politics will not once again derail governance. While politicians pursue their ambitions, those entrusted with public office must continue to discharge their duties diligently. The business of government cannot be put on hold.

We also call on political actors to conduct themselves with restraint. Divisive, incendiary and explosive rhetoric has no place in a country already strained by insecurity, economic hardship and social tensions. Politics must be played with circumspection and responsibility, with the clear understanding that the nation must exist and remain stable for political ambitions to have any meaning.

As we argued at the beginning of 2025, leadership must be by example. The culture of asking citizens to endure hardship while public officials live in comfort remains unacceptable. Nigerians will judge governance not by official claims or optimistic projections, but by what they can feel in their daily lives.

Overall, Nigerians expect life in 2026 to be better than it was in 2025. The country cannot afford to retrogress. As the year preceding another general election, 2026 is a watershed moment. Gains made, however modest, must be consolidated, not lost. Economic policies must be pursued deliberately for the benefit of the masses, not reduced to abstract statistics.

All hands must be on deck. Government must govern, politics must be moderated by responsibility, and citizens must be assured that their sacrifices are leading somewhere meaningful. Nigeria has endured too many cycles of hope raised and dashed. In 2026, the country must move forward firmly, deliberately and inclusively.

Daily Trust wishes every Nigerian a happy and prosperous 2026.