The year 2016, for many Nigerians, promises to be scarily interesting. It is the year that the people desperately look up to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to avert the economic depression ahead, which a crash in the global price of crude oil has imposed on the nation. The year, no doubt, will test the ability of the new government to save the nation not only from the economic slump, but also from sectarian crisis and political instability. Nigerians do not want to leave alone their government to figure out the solutions to these problems. They want to be part of the conversation that will shape decisions of the government as they make choices on behalf of the rest. Some Nigerians spoke to AJIBOLA AMZAT ((Features Editor), SEYE OLUMIDE, ABOSEDE MUSARI, FEMI ADEKOYA and WOLE OYEBADE.

Dr Fola Rogers, Secretary General to the Consul, Republic of Djibouti
Security of lives and properties should be a priority across the country. I pray that God will give President Buhari the strength, wisdom and protection to effect the necessary change we need for the economy. We can no longer depend on oil, so exporters should be supported while the drive to stop corruption should be ongoing. Women entrepreneurs should be encouraged through grants and funds, so as to boost our economy.
Atedo Peterside, Founder and Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Plc
In 2016, I expect the Federal Government to “bite the bullet” and figure out what we can afford and what we can no longer afford. Economic reality is determined by the reality on the ground and investors expect to be told the truth and to make their business plans based on hard economic facts. The time for pretence is over and politicking should take a back seat.  Without investors/investments, there will be no job creation.

Otunba Tola Adeniyi, former MD, Daily Times
The government should quickly set up Special Tribunals to try corruption cases. Anything short of Special Tribunals is a joke.

The government should recover all monies hidden abroad and confiscate all ill-gotten properties home and abroad.
The government should set up machinery to strengthen six-geopolitical regional structure to reduce huge expenditure on governance.

The government must find money to pay off all pensioners across the board.
Visible attention should be devoted to power, transportation, education and health.
Youth unemployment must be tackled headlong.

Muda Yusuf, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
The macroeconomic environment in 2016 will be characterised by clearer macroeconomic policy space, expansionary fiscal stance, huge debt profile, improved power supply and infrastructure, PIB acceleration and downstream deregulation and blocking of leakages through the Treasury Single Account (TSA). The targeted N300 billion by Nigerian banks to boost lending to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and the agriculture sector in 2016 will boost small business and employment generation as well as increase non-oil export. The insurance industry will remain largely under-penetrated with insurance density at about 0.225 percent. Therefore, a significant change in this industry with respect to growth and penetration remains bleak even as the sector is still highly fragmented. The declining GDP is also expected to strain, to a large extent, the performance of this industry. The expected deregulation in the downstream sub-sector will be a game changer. With the declining trend of global oil price and its attendant impact on government revenue and foreign reserves, general business outlook will remain tense. Implications on the cost of and access to credit will be undesirable. Businesses, especially those with high forex exposure, will continue to face challenges of meeting foreign obligations to suppliers and partners. This will also impact contractual trust and integrity. Risk of default in financial obligations in both public and private sectors will be high as macroeconomic conditions and cash flow remains tight.

Dr Frank Jacobs, President Manufacturing Association of Nigeria
The current low capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector can be addressed with good infrastructure, as well as policies that would aid production of quality products in the country.

Chief Segun Osoba, former governor, Ogun State
It is most unfortunate that the level of rot in all aspects of life as a Nigeria today is far deeper than anybody could imagine. Our moral value is gone. The economic situation is so bad. I pity this government. President is in kind of rescue mission that he embarked on in 1984 when he came to power. He government then got so desperate that he had to do trade by barter with Brazil because we didn’t have the foreign exchange content to import essential goods into the country. It was like going back to ancient days, Nigerian exchanging crude for goods. I see almost the same picture now in 2016. The naira is too vulnerable now due the drop in the sales of crude oil. The value of Naira in our pocket will reduce drastically. The luxury that we are used to will not be there. So I foresee government taking many unpleasant and headed decisions in 2016. Many homes will have to rearrange their living style. Our propensity to import everything from abroad must stop.
I expect that government will allow fuel to sell at market price, and encourage Nigerians to produce what they consume.
And government must stay away from the politicking of its party so that it would not be distracted from the serious task ahead.

Chief (Mrs) Rita Lori Ogbebor, Niger Delta leader
So far so good, the new administration has been serious with governance regardless of the opposition voice. It takes a time to build than to destroy.
Notwithstanding, I will expect this government to deal squarely with the problem of electricity in 2016. They must know that without solving the problem of poor supply of electricity, the economy cannot grow. Even farmers in the village need electricity to increase farm produce. The government must also work harder to make everybody safe in Nigeria. People should be free to go to anywhere they want to go to in Nigeria without having the fear of harm or death.
The government must also encourage mass education for the youths. Every youth should be able to access education because if they are enlightened, any individual or group cannot take them for a ride.
Lastly, we must return to the era when agriculture was the mainstay of our economy. Delta State used to produce robbers and palm oil. The State used to manufacture plywood 40 years ago. Other states also contributed their own agricultural products to the national wealth. What has happened to us now that we can no longer invest time and resources in agriculture?  The federal government should pay keen attention to these areas. We need to start working more than talking about what we need to do. If the government can focus on these areas, Nigeria will perform better in 2016.
Tony Uranta, National Secretary of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDESS)
Buhari administration has to begin from ground up in 2016 by considering the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference if it ever hopes to resolve the challenges confronting the nation.

The new administration cannot re-invent the wheel. There could be nothing better than the decision reached at the 2014 National Conference where over 600 people, who were appointed and selected by Nigerians, unanimously adopted resolutions that this nation has to urgently restructure itself. All the major issues confronting this government now beginning from the unrest in the South East, the ongoing dangers in the North East, the clamour for self-determination in the South West, the recent clamour for self-determination in the Middle Belt and the continuation of the crisis of the cattle herdsmen who are mainly Fulani and issues that are predicated on the imbalances or inequities of our current structuring, could only be resolved if and only when Nigeria is restructured.
The government should either set up a committee to look into the conference recommendations or at worst, appoint some of his cabinet members to look into it.

It would not work in the interest of the President if he continues to listen to the advice of those prevailing on him to ignore the conference and its report.
To listen to such people would mean he would be re-emphasising what he had already started by telling us that he is going to focus more on those areas they gave him more votes than the areas that did not, which of course is one of his biggest blunders and it is still hunting him.”

Dr. Femi Saibu, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Lagos

We expect government to create and develop social and economic infrastructure, roads, energy, security and stable health and education system.
The current unstable exchange rate puts a lot of tensions and speculations in the market; Nigerians expect stability and certainty of the exchange rate. Government needs to address the issue of cost of borrowing. Currently, to borrow from the bank is at 30 per cent, while saving rates is two to three percent, with such a financial system, no matter what government tries to spend on capital project, would amount to waste. If government builds roads and no corresponding productive activities, then the economic recovery will be nill. Nobody uses personal saving to invest. Big investments that have higher threshold of job creation depend on loanable funds. Secondly the Central Bank needs to quickly put its house in order and be more proactive rather reactionary.

The current norm of changing the rules intermittently shows that they lack sufficient grip on the monetary policy fundamentals and framework. This creates a lack of confidence and sends wrong signals to the investing public.
We should not be under illusion; government has no role in direct job creations. It is an aberration to decree jobs, you don’t enact laws to create specific jobs, and it ends up being a dead wood burden in few years latter. This explains the needlessness of bogus Ministries, Departments and Agencies  (MDAs). What government needs to do in 2016 is to strengthen economic institutions, enforce the law against any illegal practices and provide incentives to real investors and not patronages to political patrons.

If the economic base is expanded and private sectors are made to invest through adequate guarantee of investment project through assurance of commitment to policy statements, then jobs will flow.

Lastly, the perception of people about public officers is important. Government must ensure that 2016 budget is implemented to the letter. The revenue drive must be strengthened but I will advise that tax rate be left as it is and the tax base should be expanded. Less than 30 per cent tax income is collected. If the government can ensure compliance tax revenue target will be exceeded. As promised, zero budget is best way to go by ensuring that government prioritise project and only start only project that are adequately funded.

As part of the expectations from the federal government in the new year, Nigerian youths have called for meaningful engagement in the areas of agriculture, ICT, mining and solid minerals.
Solomon Adodo, National Coordinator of the Nigerian Unemployed Youths Vanguard

One of the expectations of the youths is the fulfillment of the N5, 000 monthly welfare package which President Buhari promised during his campaign.

We expect more engagement of youths in terms of employment and expansion of the economy. Our economy should be production-based. Our government should create a conducive environment for employment.
Government should also make the fight against corruption a priority. The President should fight corruption no matter whose ox is gored.

Engr. Saleh Alhassan, National Secretary of the Myetti Allah Kautal Hore Soci-Cultural Association
Federal Government should do everything possible to finally resolve the farmers-nomads crises in 2016.They should also pay attention to nomadic education, which has hitherto been poorly funded. We will be happy if some of the teachers to be employed in the New Year can be seconded to nomad schools. Then we need the government to help us address the issue of cattle rustlers.

Professor Akin Oyebode, head of the Office of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects, University of Lagos
It is most difficult to hazard a guess as to what is in the offing but I am pretty certain it can’t be worse than what we went through under the Clueless One.
Richard Akinjide
Government should do things that will make Nigerians happy.

Chief Ralph Nwosu, National Chairman ADC
Government should adopt the last conference documents or open up to a more germane dialogue and stop demonizing anyone. Let’s adopt the South Africa and Truth Reconciliation model to deal with our sordid past. They should unite our people and encourage a more inclusive approach to nation building.