As Nigeria prepares to welcome 2025, key stakeholders from various sectors have urged President Bola Tinubu to address pressing challenges, including economic reforms, local government autonomy, and national security.
Reflecting on a difficult 2024, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, emphasized the need for comprehensive fiscal and tax reforms, urging the government to expand credit facilities and address the N2.4 billion forex backlog owed to manufacturers.
Tinubu was also told to work on the education sector. In the education sector, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke of ASUU criticized high governance costs and student loan burdens, advocating for affordable, accessible education and better management of TETFUND resources.
Local government leaders, including Mohammed Abubakar and Akeem Ambali, called for immediate financial autonomy to drive grassroots development and alleviate hardships faced by citizens.
On security, Dr. Kabir Adamu of Beacon Consulting stressed the need to prioritize constitutional provisions for safeguarding lives and property.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw National Congress highlighted economic hardships in 2024, urging the government to lower petrol prices, stabilize the naira, and improve power supply to support small businesses.
Stakeholders remain optimistic that decisive reforms in 2025 can set Nigeria on a path to recovery and growth.