The first year under Nigeria’s new administration have seen a mix of fresh challenges and lingering unresolved issues from the previous regime. As President Tinubu attempts to chart a new course, long-standing problems like labor unrest, electricity woes, and security lapses persist.
The major story is the purported sacking of over 300 Central Bank employees, with 200 more disengagement letters potentially on the way. This housecleaning at the apex bank seems to signal Tinubu’s intent to reshape institutions. However, it carries risks of disrupting policies midstream and allegations of political witch-hunts.
On the economic front, the new Power Minister’s defense of the electricity tariff hikes as a necessary short-term pain has been met with skepticism by consumers struggling with a perennially poor power supply. Alongside this, organized labor is already flexing its muscles by demanding a N100,000 minimum wage – setting up potential faceoffs with the government early on.
The reinstatement of the deposed Kano Emir Sanusi has drawn controversy, with accusations that the former governor manipulated federal security agencies to foist the change. This local tussle speaks to larger concerns about the misuse of federal overreach and lack of respect for institutional boundaries.
Amid these thorny issues, President Tinubu has made the reassuring optics move of meeting with Yoruba leaders and pledging transformative governance. However, his claim that “the country is not bleeding” seems divorced from reality given the multitude of crises brewing.
Other concerning reports of criminal activity, unhygienic food production practices, and kidnappings Show that the new administration has a full slate of basic security and social welfare failings to address from the previous regime. The path to actual transformation will require deft policymaking and sacrifice rather than just rhetoric.
Nigeria finds itself at an all-too-familiar crossroads – a new government taking over amid fanfare but instantly being weighed down by the crushing inertia of unresolved issues like debt, poor infrastructure, and insecurity. While Nigeria’s new administration deserves time to lay out his full agenda, early missteps or a failure to quickly tackle the most urgent crises could easily dampen public expectations. The world watches to see if this administration can finally exorcise the ghosts of Nigeria’s past or becomes another transition tarnished by avoidable unforced errors.