But no nation can base its survival and development on luck and prayers alone while its leadership fritters away every available opportunity for success and concrete achievement. ~~Ibrahim Babangida
‘The land flowing with milk and honey, laced with abundant human and natural resources, the giant of Africa; 5th best English-speaking country in Africa, 29th in world-these were the some of the performance index linked to Nigeria’. However, the uncertainties revolving around the country seem to diminish the hard-earned reputation.
But on May 29, 1999, Nigeria transitioned from military to democratic governance, an event that was widely celebrated as the advent of good tidings in both human and material resources.
The expectations were huge as Nigerians yearned for improved economy, steady power and water supply, increased foreign exchange inflows, good governance, security, improved livelihood, massive job opportunities, food security, among others.
Regrettably, 27 years after democracy, the ambitious targets are unmet as the economy, environment, oil & gas, health, media and other critical sectors are grappling with hardship irrespective of huge allocations.
Teetering Economy
Nigeria’s is currently witnessing policy somersault that resulted to wobbly economy. From high cost of living down to unstable power supply, lopsided foreign exchange, naira devaluation and weak fiscal revenues, the challenges are the same.
The 2026 outlook focused on building a resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and growth-oriented economy. In the third quarter of 2025, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose to $720 million, up from $90 million in the preceding quarter, while the foreign reserves stood at $45.4 billion as of December 29, 2025.
Notwithstanding the ratings, the annual inflation rate rose for a second straight month to 15.69% in April from 15.38% in March 2026, being the highest since last November.
Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its 2026 Article IV Mission Concluding Statement, assessed Nigeria’s economic reform programme. It posited that strong reforms over the past three years have yielded improved macroeconomic outcomes and built resilience.
Wondering why the conditions for many Nigerians remained difficult despite the reforms, IMF lamented that poverty reached 63 percent (national poverty line) while 27 million Nigerians are estimated to have faced food insecurity in the fall of 2025.
While the external shock to fuel and food prices will push up inflation in the short run, the IMF hinted that disinflation path is projected to continue in the second half of the year.
But the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele informed that the recent conflict in the Middle East created new challenges for economies around the world through higher energy prices, rising food costs, tighter financial conditions, and disruptions to global supply chains.
He pointed out that the Federal Government is focused on increasing crude oil production, expanding domestic refining capacity, growing gas production and exports, and attracting new investments across the energy value chain.
A leadership development advocate, Dr. Luke Okojie argued that any economic blueprint can lead to improved livelihood for Nigerians if execution, transparency, and timing are right.
He noted that reforms expected to remove distortions like fuel subsidy removal and forex unification are necessary for long-term health, but reforms without social protection will bite hard on Nigerians.
Director of Security Salute Nigeria Initiative, Mr Salihu Dantata Mahmud noted that 27 years after democratic dispensation, Nigeria is still battling insecurity, poor infrastructure, unemployment, social menace, absence of social security and corruption, stating that most infrastructure projects were executed during the military regime.
Security Salute Nigeria Initiative is a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) saddled with the responsibility of enlightening Nigerians on security, civil ownership involvement, against illegal possession of arms, drug abuse and other crimes inimical to national security.
He listed the major constraints to attaining a successful democracy as poor governance, nepotism, corruption and lack of patriotism, just as he noted that democracy is not worth commemorating given the current crisis across the country.
Mahmud expressed worry over the infringement on fundamental human rights of people, which often resulted to incarceration.
The security expert lamented that the current economic blueprint cannot improve the livelihood of Nigerians given that it is a borrowed and theorical plan.
While the challenges remain, the direction is clear and the foundations are stronger. The ultimate objective of the reforms is not merely improved economic indicators, but better outcomes for every Nigerian - lower inflation, decent jobs, higher incomes, greater economic opportunity, and a better quality of life, according to the minister.
Unstable Oil & Gas
On May 29, 2023, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria at the Eagles Square Abuja. His first bold statement was the removal of fuel subsidy. In his inaugural speech, he ruled out the payment of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from third quarter of 2023.
Tinubu hinted that based on the 2023 budget he inherited from the past administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, that subsidy was supposed to end by June, 2023. It implied that subsidy seized to exist from July 2023.
Forty-eight hours after the pronouncement, precisely on May 30, 2023, fuel stations in Lugbe, Central Business District, Wuse, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Maitama and other parts of Abuja were overwhelmed with long queues from motorists.
Then, Nigeria spent more than $850 million monthly on fuel subsidy as revealed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). From 2005 to mid- 2021, the Federal Government had spent over N13. 697 trillion on the payment of subsidy, just as the Organisation of Petroleum Countries (OPEC) pegged the country's daily import of petrol and diesel at 465,000 barrels per day.
In 2022, the Federal Government spent over N3 trillion on subsidy, while in 2023 budget, N4 trillion was mapped out for fuel subsidy. The capital project for the entire country in 2023 was N6 trillion.
This also implied that Nigeria spent at least, N18.397 billion to subsidise PMS daily due to high cost of petroleum products, redundant refineries, wobbly exchange rate, and failure to implement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Worried by the unfolding dilemma, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) assured that it is collaborating with the NNPCL and other stakeholders for a smooth transition.
A statement by the General Manager, Corporate Communications of NMDPRA, Mr Kimchi Apollo revealed that the organisation would address issues bordering on the removal of fuel subsidy.
He assured that NMDPRA is working round the clock to avoid disruptions in the supply of PMS likewise to ensure that consumers were not short-changed.
The spokesperson noted that contrary to speculations and concerns, the announcement was in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021) which provided for total deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector to drive investment and growth.
But on May 31, 2026, President Tinubu disclosed that the removal of fuel subsidy by his administration saved the country from imminent bankruptcy and laid the foundation for the gradual recovery of the nation’s economy.
He made the utterance when he hosted state governors who came to celebrate the Sallah and the third anniversary of his administration.
"It was challenging at the time, but we survived. We face litigation and accusations. We survived them. Instead of bankruptcy, Nigeria has survived. The economy has recovered. It is growing. Agriculture is booming,” Tinubu said.
The President disclosed that ongoing reforms in infrastructure, agriculture, social investment, foreign exchange management and fiscal discipline were beginning to restore investor confidence and improve economic prospects.
"The economy has recovered. Macroeconomic indices are doing very well. Construction is ongoing on roads and infrastructure; the ones abandoned have been rehabilitated.
"The housing industry is coming on very well. Agriculture will prosper again. We will achieve food sovereignty if we utilise the land that is in your possession and in your various states effectively,’’ he noted.
The President assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to implement people-oriented policies aimed at reducing hardship, creating jobs, strengthening food security and ensuring inclusive economic growth.
In her contribution, the Nigeria Country Manager of Natural Resource Governance Institute, Tengi George-Ikoli noted that since 1999, Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has seen incremental improvements in resource governance, particularly through the PIA’s institutional reforms and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)-led transparency on revenues, contracts, production, and increasingly emissions data.
George-Ikoli stated that Nigeria remains a leading global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementer, but the impact is constrained by limited data disaggregation and usability, reducing its value for decision-making and accountability.
“These governance gains have begun to intersect with the energy transition agenda, especially around gas commercialisation and emissions transparency, yet progress remains uneven.
“Key impediments include slow and inconsistent PIA implementation, periodic policy reversals that undermine reform credibility, and a broader failure of the fossil fuel sector to translate resource wealth into inclusive economic transformation.
“Critically, lessons from oil governance—particularly around transparency, fiscal regimes, and institutional design—remain underleveraged in the solid minerals sector, representing a missed opportunity to diversify and strengthen Nigeria’s overall extractive governance framework in a transitioning global energy landscape,” she said.
Despite the unending promises from both President Tinubu, NNPCL and NMDPRA, the PMS crisis dragged to 2026. This tickled down to all sectors of the economy as Nigerians are overburdened with high cost of food, household items, rent and transportation.
Briefly
On June 12, 1993, Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola in an election that transcended ethnic and religious divisions. The annulment of the election by the military sparked national outcry as Nigerians absconded to their communities and deserted the cities for fear of political uprising.
Considered as Nigeria’s fairest election, it was keenly contested between the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Moshood Abiola and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
The death of military dictator, Sani Abacha in 1998, however, paved the way for democracy. The democratic handover and takeover represented the beginning of uninterrupted government since independence in 1960.
Shockingly in 2021, former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida admitted that he annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election in the overall interest of Nigeria.
Babangida said: “It is a decision we took. I had to take that decision, I did that to the best of my knowledge, in the interest of the country.
“I did the right thing. I can sit back and say some of the things I said manifested after I had left. We had the coup and that coup lasted for five years.”
However, in 2019, late President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Public Holiday Act Amendment Bill, declaring June 12 Democracy Day in Nigeria and a public holiday. It replaced May 29, earlier declared as Democracy Day in recognition of its historic landmark.
Media Harassment
The media industry has witnessed tremendous growth over the years. From analog to digital tools for communication, the industry keeps leveraging on trends that shapes the country. The advent of online publication bolstered the industry by expanding the targeted audience and readers.
Within this democratic regime, the Freedom of Information Act 2011 was passed by the National Assembly on 24th May 2011 and assented by President Goodluck Jonathan on 28th May, 2011.
It touched on areas such as rights of access to records, information about public institution, request for access to records, time for granting or refusing application, record keeping and maintenance of records and, destruction or falsification of records.
Also, exemption of international affairs and defence, denial by a public institution to disclose records, access to information by the court, burden of proof, and order to disclose informant, among others.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) empowers a person, group, association or organisation providing public services to access information from government agencies, parastatals, federal civil service, private and public sector organisations. Though packaged for easy access to public records, it is still rigorous obtaining such records.
With skyrocketing defamation suits slammed on media houses, to constant harassment of journalists, the media industry is still contenting with adequate protection for whistle blowers, who are mostly media workers.
A communications strategist, Dr. Luke Okojie listed the achievements recorded by the media since the democratic era as expansion of press freedom compared to military era, adding that private broadcast and online media have exploded.
“Citizens can now document and publish their stories, and the Guild of Professional Biographers, Africa was also formed in this era to preserve leadership legacies and teach ethical storytelling, which would have been harder under military censorship,” he said.
He lamented the continued harassment of journalists, defamation lawsuits used to silence reporting, poor access to data for fact-checking, and economic pressure on media houses, lamenting that fake news and monetised misinformation now compete with factual reporting, making public trust harder to earn.
The biographer said that June 12 is worth commemorating though with sober reflection, adding that democracy becomes a ritual without the essentials.
“Yes, June 12 is worth celebrating, but with sober reflection. Since 1999, we have had 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule — the longest stretch in our history. That alone is progress. Elections now happen, power transfers occur, and citizens are more vocal through media and civic groups. But celebration should be tied to results.
“If democracy only means voting without improved welfare, security, and justice, then it becomes ritual. So, we celebrate the system we have kept alive, while demanding more from it,” he said.
He listed the major constraints to attaining a successful democracy as weak institutions over strong personalities, economic exclusion, insecurity and low civic education.
According to him, “When institutions like INEC, the judiciary, and the legislature function based on who is in office rather than the law, democracy becomes fragile.
“Poverty makes citizens vulnerable to vote-buying and weakens accountability. People struggling to survive cannot effectively demand good governance.
“You cannot have real democratic participation where lives and property are not safe. Fear shuts down debate and engagement.
“Many Nigerians understand voting, but not oversight, policy, or how to hold representatives accountable between elections”.
In defending press freedom, the International Press Centre Lagos raised concern over violent rhetoric directed at journalists, prompting renewed calls for restraint in public discourse and a stronger commitment to respecting media independence and safeguarding the work of the press.
As at April 1, 2026, the IPC in collaboration with six national and international press freedom organisations, enjoined President Tinubu to take decisive steps toward ending attacks on journalists, while advocating stronger protections for media workers across the country.
A hopeful citizen of Nigeria, Mr Ugochukwu Ezeji noted that celebrating democracy is the right of citizens of every country but expressed worry that Nigeria’ democratic journey is marred by foreign powers.
“I believe that what we are passing through in this country has link with foreign powers. When Nigeria decides to handle issues without relying on UK, we will attain a successful democracy.
“What can we say we have achieved than suppression of truth. Report the truth and die,” he said.
He admitted that the economic policies of the APC-led administration are good but lacked proper monitoring.
To guarantee free access to information, the continued attacks on members of the fourth estate must end, as such dilemma threatens the tenets of democracy, while exposing the fragile peace existing in the country.
Wobbly Health Sector
Currently, Nigeria adopted three tiers of healthcare. While the Primary Healthcare (PHC) offers basic medical services, vaccinations, and maternal care at the community level; secondary healthcare extended to general hospitals that handle more complex cases and minor surgeries, and tertiary healthcare involved teaching and specialised hospitals entrusted with advanced treatments, surgeries, and specialised care.
Despite the existence of the tiers, the sector is challenged with high burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, poor funding, shortage of medical professionals, poor health insurance cover, obsolete infrastructure and corruption.
In a bid to increase health funding, African Union heads of states converged in Abuja in April 2001 and agreed to set aside 15 percent of their annual budget to improve the sector.
Twenty-five years down the line, no appreciable progress have been recorded in Nigeria’s health sector. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that kick-started in 2005, has covered less than 5 percent of the population. Majority of those covered are from the formal sector, which is a major impediment to the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for Nigerians. But in 2026, the Federal Government proposed about ₦2.48 trillion for health, approximatey 4.2 percent of the budgeted ₦58 trillion Appropriation Bill.
The Chairman International Institutes of Advanced Research and Training at Chidicon Medical Center Owerri, Imo State, Prof Philip Njemanze hinted that the healthcare sector is taunted with both progress and persistent challenges in medical education and professional training.
He said: “The healthcare sector provides an example of both progress and persistent challenges. Since the colonial era, Nigeria has made remarkable advances in medical education and professional training. Nigerian doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals have distinguished themselves across the world. In countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, Nigerian healthcare workers are widely respected for their competence, dedication, and contributions to patient care.”
Njemanze, who is also the Head of the Global Prolife Alliance (GPA) noted that despite the milestones, the sector is battling corruption and policy somersault.
He lamented that some foreign-funded health programmes diverted resources away from disease burden, leading to high mortality and morbidity rate.
“Despite these achievements, Nigeria's public health system continues to face serious difficulties. Corruption, inadequate investment, weak infrastructure, and policy inconsistencies have hindered progress.
“Critics also argue that the priorities of some foreign-funded health programmes have sometimes diverted attention and resources away from diseases responsible for the greatest burden of mortality and morbidity within the country.
The Academician stated that concerns about healthcare regulation led to the enactment of the National Health Act of 2014, which was intended to strengthen governance and improve healthcare delivery.
“However, some legal analysts, medical professionals, and civil society advocates contend that certain provisions of the Act contain loopholes that require urgent review. These critics argue that ambiguities in the law may create opportunities for abuses relating to organ transplant and the procurement of human reproductive materials if not properly regulated and monitored.
“For many advocates, this represents one of the most important human rights’ debates of the twenty-first century. They maintain that the protection of bodily integrity, informed consent, and the sanctity of human life must remain central principles of healthcare legislation,” he said.
Njemanze stated that as Nigerians celebrate democracy day, there is much to commemorate beyond political ceremonies and public speeches.
He disclosed that the occasion reminded Nigerians that democracy remains the most desirable model of governance for a free and dignified society.
“From a cultural perspective, democracy is not entirely foreign to our heritage. Some scholars have argued that the concept of democracy reflects principles long embedded in traditional Igbo political organisation.
“In the indigenous parliamentary system known as oha n'eze, meaning leaders in government, the Nze (n'eze – in government) and the Ozo (o zo – in the opposition) performed complementary roles in governance, consultation, and accountability. Thus, participatory government and public deliberation have deep roots in our cultural history.
“Yet, while democracy deserves celebration, it also demands honest self-examination. Many Nigerians believe that the present democratic order has been compromised by corruption, electoral manipulation, and declining standards of public leadership.
“Increasingly, citizens express concern that governance is drifting toward what political philosophers describe as kakistocracy—government by the least qualified or most self-serving elements of society,” he concluded.
The health sector is an investment hotspot if the Federal Government commits to attaining the Abuja declaration on health and curtailing brain drain associated with deteriorating economic conditions.
Filthy Environment
Nigeria’s huge environmental problems hinder the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SGD’s) as outlined by the United Nations. Specifically, Goals 1, 7 and 13 focused on poverty, clean water and sanitation, and climate action.
From blocked drainages to deforestation, drought, desertification, erosion, climate change, flooding, air and water pollution, and open defecation, the environmental crisis stretched beyond the sectors’ control and management.
About 47 million Nigerians are still practicing open defecation, using the bush and water bodies as their regular means for excreta disposal.
The country is losing over 1.5 million trees daily to illegal logging, leading to 3.5 percent deforestation annually. The forest cover has depleted from 10 percent of the country's landmass at independence to less than 5 percent cover, as against the mandate of the Food and Agricultural Organizations’ (FAO) that each state is expected to keep its forest cover to a minimum of 25 percent of its land area.
Fondly called UN Climate Change Conference, the 21st edition of Conference of Parties (COP) which took place in Paris, December 2015, was a breakthrough for obtaining international commitment in addressing climate change.
It produced the landmark 12-page Paris Agreement that mandated all 195 negotiating countries to limit the global temperature to well below 2°C and make efforts to limit it to 1.5°C pre-industrial levels.
To enhance transparency, President Tinubu authorised the establishment of the Climate Accountability and Transparency Portal and other measures for efficiency and accountability.
In addition, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a critical element of Paris Agreement designed to support developing countries to raise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while attaining low-emissions and climate-resilient pathways. It was established by the 194 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) including Nigeria in 2010.
As at December 2023, the GCF had a portfolio of USD 13.5 billion (USD 51.9 billion including co-financing) that offered transformative climate action in more than 120 countries, inclusive of Nigeria.
The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) Dr Yakubu Baba said that the agency conducted extensive field surveillance, environmental health assessments, and stakeholder consultation on the rising burden of environmental-related diseases linked to Greenhouse Gas (GhG) emissions.
EHCON is a regulatory body under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Environment, mandated to regulate the practice of environmental health in Nigeria.
He stated that the pollutants are not just harmful to the environment but directly endangering the health, productivity, and livelihoods of Nigerians.
Baba encouraged communities to join forces with line ministries in order to crash the open defecation figure, stating that with the council’s collaboration with the line ministries, that Nigeria could achieve ODF target by 2030.
Baba disclosed that communicable diseases accounted for more than 75 percent of diseases ravaging communities across the country.
According to him, "The Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and sanitary inspectors are the policemen of the environment. They have all the powers and privileges of police officers because it’s only a health officer that is allowed by law to enter into any premises within reasonable hours for inspection without a warrant".
"If you have few personnel to police the environment, it means that the environment and health system will suffer and you will spend more money in providing curative services. The solution lies in recruiting more Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs),” he added.
He was optimistic that integration and interface would provide the solution to Nigeria's health system problems.
To leverage on the opportunities of GCF, experts have pleaded with African governments to invest more resources in climate adaptation than the received Official Development Assistant (ODA) support, since Africa needs $53 billion annually to mitigate climate disasters.
Call To Action
As African countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Nigeria have fully adopted democratic governance; freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression and the press, freedom of movement, remain a fundamental human right as encapsulated in chapter four of Nigeria's constitution.
To this end, Okojie suggested that well packaged cash transfers programmes, affordable healthcare, and food security must run parallel to reforms in Nigeria, not after.
“We (Nigeria) need to move from policy announcements to real investment in power, roads, agriculture, and MSMEs. That’s where jobs and livelihoods come from.
“Accountability in spending because Nigerians will support difficult reforms if they see funds used transparently and results on the ground.
“Policy must be shaped with input from the people who feel the impact daily, not just technocrats,” he added.
The biographer informed that democracy is a journey, not a destination, saying that June 12 should remind the elites that power ultimately belongs to the people.
He said: “If we strengthen institutions, expand economic opportunity, and keep public dialogue honest, the next 27 years can look very different.”
Ezeji harped on the need for the Federal Government to set up a monitoring team for all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to checkmate the excesses in order to strengthen the economy.
Mahmud suggested that the introduction of social security, economic restructuring, employment generation, steady power supply, free education, stable health care delivery and accountability are the safest route to achieving workable democracy.
While Nigeria hits another democratic journey by 2027, there is a need for the Federal Government to fully embrace the principles of democracy like rule of law, justice, right to fair hearing, free and fair elections and accountability.
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