As 2022 winds down amidst dashed plans and dreams many Nigerians still have hope and expectations for achieving greater things in 2023, TOPE SUNDAY writes.
The year 2022 was different things for different people. For many it was a difficult year, while for a few others it was their year of breakthrough. However, despite the many disappointments of the year, Nigerians are still keeping hope alive and are expectant that the year 2023 would be better, especially if certain indices and policies are put in place. To some, free and fair elections in the New Year would set a good pace for the country’s economy and political spaces.
2022 experiences
Many events occurred in 2022 that shaped the world, negatively and positively, and invariably impacted on Nigeria and Nigerians as well.
Qatar World Cup
One of the positive events of this year’s World Cup was in Qatar, the first in the Middle East, which was held between November 20 and December 18.
Though Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament, an African country, Morocco, for the first time ever progressed to the semi final stage.
Russia, Ukraine war
Conversely, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February negatively affected many countries, including Nigeria, which depends on Russia, Ukraine and other Black Sea countries for wheat imports.
The war between the two countries has caused a surge in wheat prices and affected the production of bread and other confectionaries.
Also, the invasion of Ukraine and consequent sanctions on Russia created an energy crisis of a large scale unseen in half a century, with prices of gas and electricity soaring globally, and Nigeria was also affected.
As the war raged the West placed an oil embargo on Russia. The European Union and other members of the G8, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan, also agreed to cap the price of Russian crude oil at $60 per barrel. This skyrocketed global oil prices resulting in inflation, Nigeria was not spared.
Diesel, a major part of powering industrial and commercial activities of the country, was also affected as prices soared.
Before the war, the price of a litre of diesel in Nigeria was N288, and it has increased to over N800 today.
Insecurity
Also in the home front, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared a sit-at-home on January 18, 2022 in solidarity with its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is being held by the federal government over his secessionist stand and other allegations.
Banditry and insurgency did not abate in North, especially the North-east, as the non-state actors continued to make life unbearable for citizens with government and security agencies unable to contain their excesses.
Security threat reached its peak in June, when the gunmen attacked some officials of the 7 Guards Battalion of the Nigerian Army Presidential Guards Brigade. The incident, which took place around the Bwari Area Council of Abuja, left three soldiers wounded and eight personnel killed including a captain and lieutenant.
Reports had it the main aim of the terrorists was to attack the Nigerian Law School in Bwari and had already camped in the area.
Kidnapping, armed robbery, and other violent crimes also took a turn for the worse with most commuters opting for air travels, despite the astronomically high cost, in a bid not to fall victim of the marauders who have taken over the highways leaving the military and other security agencies practically helpless.
Economic hardship
For many, the year 2022 was a rough one in terms of the economy. Inflation was at all time high as prices of goods and services soured beyond expectation.
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data indicated that Nigeria’s inflation rate rose for the 10th consecutive month in November to 21.47 per cent from 21.09 per cent recorded I October.
The statistics office said the prices of goods and services, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased by 21.47 per cent in November 2022 compared to the rate in November 2021.
Nigeria’s lingering fuel scarcity became worse towards the end of the year as the products were either not available or sold at high prices. The shortage has led to high cost of transportation thereby affecting goods and services.
According to the bureau, food inflation rate in November stood at 24.13 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 6.92 per cent higher compared to the rate recorded in November 2021 (17.21 per cent).
The bureau said the rise in food inflation was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, potatoes, yam and other tubers, Food products and fish.
The report added that all items less farm produce or core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce, stood at 18.24 per cent in November 2022 on a year-on-year basis; up by 4.39 per cent when compared to 13.85 per cent recorded in November 2021.
The NBS said the highest increases were recorded in prices of gas, liquid fuel, passengers transport by air, vehicles spare parts, and solid fuel.
Hopes, expectations for 2023
Despite the hardship and security threats experienced in 2022, some Nigerians who spoke with Blueprint Weekend were optimistic that the year 2023 would be favourable if the elections are conducted freely and fairly.
It’ll be favourable
A business woman, Agatha Chitumu, told this medium that having survived all the years, coupled with the hardship of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, year 2023 would be favourable to her, but she expects a decline in the cost of foodstuff in order to satisfy her customers.
She said: “To survive the COVID-19 lock down is a miracle, an eye opener for me. Having survived these few years, I hope that the year 2023 will favour me as a business woman, I expect a decline in the cost of foodstuffs so as to satisfy my customers. There will be peace in the coming elections.”
… A lot depends on election outcome
For Mr. Benjamin Onigbinde, a real estate expert, the year’s success would depend on the outcome of the elections that are expected to be conducted in the second month of 2023.
“Year 2022 has been a very challenging one in all respects. The economic outlook in the beginning of the year did not give an indication of such a high level of depression.
“The year turned out to be more innovative as more businesses and people strived to design new ways of creating values to survive. “The political environment at the end of the year tends to create tension in the business operating environment as it’s becoming difficult to generate a sustainable forecast for business operations.
“The instability generated by unstable fiscal policy in the area of currency devaluation has increased inflation rate mostly for essential commodities which has resulted in continuous reduction in the standard of living. “The expectation in 2023 is highly subjective to the results of the elections in various political offices. I may not be able to make a sustainable forecast on the economy,’’ he said.
He added that he expected policy changes by the end of the second quarter of the year due to expected changes in government, which according to him, may affect critical sectors of the economy, especially oil and gas, banking and finance, as well as security.
“The economy will continue to witness post-COVID disruptions both in the public and private sectors. These disruptions will be fine-tuned in the economy through digitization. The positive effect of the changes may be difficult to measure at the initial stage.
“A lot of policy changes are also expected by the end of the second quarter of the year due to expected changes in government, which may affect critical sectors of the economy, especially oil and gas, banking and finance, as well as security.
“The housing sector may witness a dull season if there is an increase in the adoption of virtual office technology, such as zoom, which may lead to a reduction in the commercial office market. This is, however, subject to improvement in the power supply system,’’ Onigbinde said.
On his part, Emmanuel Daudu, media and communications expert, told our correspondent that he expects credible leaders to take over the helm of affairs in Nigeria.
According to him, “If Nigerians get it right with the leadership particularly the office of the president, everything would fall in line.”
He said: “One of my major expectations is to see credible leaders take the helm of affairs for a better Nigeria. This life is too short for a bad leader to take away another eight years out of our lives as Nigerians under the auspices of bad leadership which in turn will birth economic retrogression, more corruption, indiscipline, insecurity, and the rest.
“We need a level playing ground for all Nigerians, we need a united nation, and not a nation disorganized by tribal, religious, nepotism segregations.
“If we Nigerians get it right by having good leaders, especially the office of the President, all other wishes with prayers will fall in place. However, another expectation is sound health, favour, and financial greatness and open doors in the New Year.’’
We’re evolving against all odds
Looking at the infrastructural development, an Abuja resident, Henry David, hoped that things would turn around for good in the New Year especially in the area of infrastructure.
“On the part of the country, there is the hope that things will turn around for the country in the area of infrastructure development and commitment by the incoming leader to do better than the previous administration. Our society is evolving politically and socially against all odds,’’ he stated in anticipation.
Drastic remedy to hardship needed
However, an Abuja-based journalist, Mathew Dennis, called for a drastic remedy to economic hardship, inflation, insecurity and improved power supply in the New Year, and expressed the optimism that if deliberate policies are deployed to boost productivity, naira would appreciate against Dollar in 2023.
He said: “My expectation for the year coming with elections is to have a drastic remedy to the economic hardship, inflation, insecurity and improved power supply in the country. “The incoming government should open a new page towards achieving development in the various sectors. There should be deliberate policies in enhancing infant industries’ activities to boost productivity to encourage more export activities to appreciate our Naira against the Dollar.”
Expect more drama…
On the contrary, a legislative aide, Usman Aliyu, said more drama should be expected in the NEW YEAR because of the intrigues that would play out after the elections.
“I am not a believer in the end of the year’s rhetoric which is often couched as New Year’s expectations. Oftentimes, it is only an academic exercise. However, sometimes events that define the New Year are only already in the proceeding one.
“For example, the year 2023 is a year of high expectations on the political front. That’s a process already underway. Given the many unrealistic expectations of some people, politicians and supporters alike; you can already see that there will be plenty of intrigue.
“Typical of an election year, the outcome of that election and the intrigues will define the rest of the year. So, we are in for a year full of drama,’’ Aliyu stated.
More successes’ll be achieved
The President of the Nigeria Youth Congress (NYC), Comrade Blessing Akinlosotu, who noted that though there were some disappointments in 2022, declared that the year was not a total failure, and set an agenda for 2023.
He said: “Year 2022 has been a very successful and wonderful year for Nigerians. Also there are some disappointments on some of the issues that are happening in the country.
“The issue of insecurity is still very critical in this country to the extent that during this festive period people found it very difficult to travel by road and the airports are too busy. There are issues of unemployment, inflation, rising costs of goods and service, infrastructural decay among others.
“However, we can’t forget the fact that some progress was recorded because the government at the centre recorded some feats and one of them is the railway in the country, which is improving. Lagos-Ibadan was opened. The Itakpe/Warri axis is also there.
“Road infrastructure was massively constructed everywhere in the country. The Second Niger Bridge and many other projects have been constructed nationwide. Even Nigeria at the international level also did well, we saw some prolific young Nigerians that made the country proud.
“At this year’s World Cup in Qatar, having Davido, a Nigerian, as one of those who performed at the closing ceremony, shows that Nigeria has a lot of productivities, but individually inclined. We hope to achieve more successes in the future.’’
On 2023, Akinlosotu said: “We strongly hope that the government would do more, and this is the year of the election as well. This is a year where Nigerians are about to decide their future. If the mandate given to the past leaders has been judiciously worked on and they have seen the results, if not, they have the choice now to determine who is going to lead them.
“We are looking for who is going to take it over from what President Muhammadu Buhari has done. He has tried his best, yes, his best may not be enough as some people would say. He has done some intervention work and elections in Edo and Osun states where the opposition party won by landslide, should be credited as Buhari’s achievement.
“So in 2023, I am expecting the 30 per cent affirmative action for the Nigerian youths to hold different portfolios, like to be ministers, director general of agencies, managing directors of agencies, top positions in this country, so that they would be able to provide the leadership needed.
“I strongly believe that 2023 shall be a fruitful year for us, and I strongly believe that it is a year that everybody should shun violence. Nobody should instigate violence because the country belongs to all of us, and the goodness of Nigeria is the best to us.
“We should not contribute to breaking up Nigeria. Nigeria will not break, it will remain one, and we hope that great things will continue to happen to this country.
“Moving forward, the country will prosper, and the youth will be given the opportunity to contribute to the national development, and also the women will be given the same opportunity.
“Also, the physically challenged and the CSOs will be given the opportunity to do their part. The people in the position of authority should do their part because we need more infrastructures and more jobs.’’
