The law or T-Law?
Tinubu is rolling out new policies in 2025, and you might not like them
Good morning, Big Brains. Is it just me, or is this month super slow? What do you mean we’re just 8 days into 2025? I need God to do his big one and teleport us to the 25th real quick.
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1, 000
Reading time ~ 4 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
President Tinubu is giving you all the tea on his new policies
Governor Makinde wants the organisers connected to the Ibadan stampede to face trial
The Big Deal
President Tinubu is giving you all the tea on his new policies
After the shege we’ve seen in the hands of Tinubu’s policies (or T-Laws if you’re fancy), it’s completely understandable if the word “policy” triggers you a little bit. We hate to be the bearer of not-so-bad news, but the president is back with new policies in 2025, and no The Big Daily reader will be caught off guard on our watch.
Remember when we told you to mentally prepare for another round of queues because of the new multipurpose national identity card? Well, 2025 is the year you’ve been mentally preparing for. We know this because the president’s media team has just said that’s one of his top priorities this year.
The team didn’t say much about when exactly we’d all have to start worrying about the distribution of these cards, but it's likely to start in the first quarter of 2025.
But that’s not the only policy you should expect in Q1. You should also expect something called The National Youth CONFAB. In October 2024, President Tinubu’s screen time hit the roof (because Nigerian youths had a lot to say about his administration on social media). Instead of clapping back like any other social media user, he decided to make things slightly more physical by proposing a gathering of youths, fancily named The National Youth Confab.
The confab is supposed to last for 30 days and will be attended by young Nigerians who will put their heads together to propose solutions to social issues like education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice. The Ministry of Youth is likely to keep the selection process public and transparent, so there’s a chance you might be invited.
The president’s team says he’s already planning for the second quarter of the year, too. The first policy he wants to execute in Q2 is the National Credit Guarantee Company. The goal of this policy is to make it easier for Nigerians and key sectors of the economy to access credit.
Another controversial policy that will likely take effect in 2025 is the Tax Reform Bills. These bills are still making their rounds in the National Assembly, but the expectation is that they’ll get passed in the coming months. Even though several Nigerians and some leaders are still against these reforms, President Tinubu is serious about implementing them as soon as possible.
He also plans to fully implement the autonomy given to local governments in 2025, create a national livestock program, commission some infrastructure projects, establish creative villages with the goal of improving the creative industry and commission major agricultural projects.
Why is this a big deal?
Like it or not, these policies have a direct impact on your wallets, daily routines, and future. So, even if hearing the word “policy” drives you straight to boredom, it’s still important to keep up.
Take the National Credit Guarantee Company, for example. If done right, it would mean easier access to loans for average Nigerians and businesses.
Then there’s the Tax Reform Bills. Love it or hate it, taxes fund the services we all depend on. But with plans to increase the Value-Added Taxes (VAT) on basic items, these reforms could either bring relief or add to the financial stress of dealing with the rising cost of living. Paying attention now means you’ll be ready to hold the government accountable if things go wrong.
Another policy you should care about is the National Youth CONFAB. Think of it as a chance to move from Twitter rants to real-world influence (hopefully). For the first time in a long time, youths from all over the country might get the chance to sit in a room and be involved in major conversations. We can’t make any promises for the Ministry of Youth given the mess that happened during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. But maybe Big T’s administration can pull it off.
Governor Makinde wants the organisers connected to the Ibadan stampede to face trial
December 18, 2024, might be a forgettable day for you, but not for the parents who lost 35 children during a stampede in Ibadan. Even though the organisers of the fun fair where the stampede happened had good intentions, Governor Makinde of Oyo state has made it clear that they will face trial regardless. The governor admitted that the case isn’t black and white, but it could have been avoided if the organisers had been more prepared. Even though he’s been getting calls from people to back down on the case, he insists that a trial must happen.
Eight people were initially arrested over the incident, but three of them — ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Naomi Ogunwusi, Agidigbo FM owner Oriyomi Hamzat, and Basorun High School principal Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde — have been sent to Agodi Prison in Ibadan where they'll remain until later this month when the court will continue the case.
In his words, “Some people told me this happened in Anambra and FCT, and no one went to jail. But Oyo State is not Anambra, and justice must prevail, regardless of anyone’s status. Even if the rest of the country disregards the rule of law, Oyo State will stand firm and uphold it.”
In a country where people get away with all sorts of things, it’s great to see Governor Makinde insisting on getting justice for the victims.
This Week’s Big Question
“What’s your biggest goal in 2025?”
Ngozi’s response - “My biggest goal is to take fitness seriously this year. I owe everybody visible abs by December.”
You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting as Ngozi’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Ghana’s Mahama Sworn In As President: John Mahama has been sworn in as Ghana’s new president during a ceremony attended by world leaders.
US Congress Certifies Trump Win Four Years After Capitol Riot: Donald Trump completed a historic political comeback on Monday as Congress officially certified his election victory, marking a dramatic shift from four years ago when a mob he had called to Washington stormed the US Capitol.