As Nigerians cross the threshold into 2025, they carry with them the heavy burden of one of the most challenging years in recent memory.

The year 2024 tested the resilience of citizens in unprecedented ways, with the twin shocks of fuel subsidy removal and naira flotation in 2023 creating ripple effects that touched every aspect of daily life. With fuel prices surging beyond N1,000 and the dollar exchange rate breaching N1,700, the resulting 34 percent inflation rate became not just a statistic, but a daily reality that forced millions of families to make painful choices between basic necessities.

The question now is not whether 2025 will be different, but how different it must be for Nigerians to maintain faith in their nation’s trajectory.

In the considered opinion of this newspaper President Bola Tinubu’s recent assurance of economic prosperity in 2025 must be matched with concrete actions that deliver tangible relief to citizens who have borne the brunt of harsh economic reforms with remarkable patience.

The administration’s policies must now demonstrate that the pain of 2024 was indeed the necessary foundation for sustainable economic recovery.

The expectations for 2025 are as urgent as they are fundamental. First among these is that Nigerians want to see a stabilisation of fuel prices through increased domestic refining capacity. Theoperationalisation of the Port Harcourtand Warri refinerymust be sustained and the promised completion of the Kaduna refinery must not become another exercise in deadline-shifting. The competition in the deregulated fuel market must yield genuine benefits for consumers, not just theoretical advantages.

Furthermore, the government’s promise to roll out more CNG buses must materialise rapidly, especially in rural areas where transportation costs have become particularly burdensome.

The security gains of 2024, while impressive on paper – with over 8,000 terrorists eliminated and 11,623 suspects arrested – must translate into a fundamental shift in citizens’ sense of safety. When people cannot travel freely or sleep peacefully in their homes, especially in rural areas, statistics of military success ring hollow. The security forces must build on their achievements to ensure that the menace of banditry and kidnapping becomes a diminishing threat rather than a persistent fear. The recovery of 8,216 weapons and 211,459 rounds of ammunition demonstrates the scale of the security challenge, but also shows what coordinated action can achieve.

Perhaps no single factor better illustrates the gap between Nigeria’s potential and its current reality than the power sector. The national grid’s twelve collapses in 2024 tell a story of infrastructure decay that cannot be remedied by incremental improvements. While the promised addition of 150 megawatts to the grid is welcome, it is a drop in the ocean of Nigeria’s power needs. The Siemens Presidential Power Initiative must deliver transformative results in 2025, not just progress reports. As Vice President Kashim Shettima rightly noted, meaningful national economic development is impossible without addressing the power sector crisis.

The implementation of the Oronsaye report represents a critical test of government’s seriousness about reducing the cost of governance. The spectacle of a bloated government preaching sacrifice to an increasingly impoverished population is neither sustainable nor morally defensible. Leaders at all levels must demonstrate through personal example that the belt-tightening they prescribe is not just for the governed but also for the governing. The consolidation of government agencies must be pursued with urgency and transparency.

The crisis in the pharmaceutical sector demands immediate intervention. When essential medicines become luxury items, and citizens resort to unregulated herbal alternatives out of desperation, we are confronting not just an economic challenge but a public health emergency. The government’s recognition of the need to strengthen local production must move from policy statements to visible action in 2025. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammed Ali Pate’s acknowledgment of skyrocketing drug prices must be followed by concrete measures to ensure affordable access to essential medications.

For 2025 to truly mark a turning point, several specific actions are imperative. First, the government must establish clear benchmarks for inflation reduction and exchange rate stability. Second, the power sector reforms must include specific targets for grid stability and increased generation capacity. Third, security operations must focus on preventive measures rather than just reactive responses. Fourth, the implementation of social safety nets must be expanded and made more efficient to reach those most affected by economic reforms.

In our view, the path to Nigeria’s economic recovery must be paved with more than good intentions. It requires decisive leadership, efficient execution of policies, and a genuine commitment to public welfare.

As we enter 2025, these are not just expectations but imperatives that must be met for Nigeria to maintain its social cohesion and economic stability. The government must recognise that while citizens understand the need for patience, that patience is not inexhaustible.

President Tinubu’s acknowledgment of citizens’ hardships and his plea for understanding, while welcome, must be backed by visible progress in addressing these challenges. The promise of a “glorious dawn” must be substantiated by measurable improvements in living standards. The year 2025 must be the year when hope transforms from rhetoric into reality, when promises become deliverables, and when the sacrifices of the Nigerian people begin to yield tangible returns in their daily lives.

We wish Nigerians a happy and memorable New Year . (LEADERSHIP Editorial)