Some good, bad, ugly events that shaped 2023

In this report, Vincent Kuraun, recaps some of the most significant events of 2023.

It’s 2023, and like any other year, it is going to be a year that many Nigerians won’t forget so easily because of the various events that happened in the year and had a great impact on the lives of many citizens. With just a day to 2024, SUNDAY TRIBUNE retrospectively looks at some of the events that had great significance.

Naira scarcity

Citizens and residents of the country made a grand entry into the year 2023 in so much pain and agony which was fuelled by the non-availability of cash.

It would be recalled that on October 26, 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its then governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced the government decision to redesign the nation’s naira notes, particularly the N200, N500 and N1,000 notes, as part of its efforts to mop up the N2.73 trillion out of N3.32 trillion naira notes outside the banking system. The decision, according to CBN, would also help to curb the counterfeiting of N500 and N1,000 banknotes which was on the increase at the time.

Though the circulation of the new N200, N500 and N1,000 notes began in mid-December 2022, the validity of the old notes, though was extended several times by the CBN, coupled with the scarcity of both old and new banknotes put fear in the public.

The scarcity of banknotes inflicted serious hardship on many Nigerians and generated a lot of negative reactions from different sectors of the economy and societal strata, with some saying it was meant to curb vote buying in the nation’s general elections and others saying it was targeted at some set of politicians.

After different court rulings against it, the apex was forced to declare both series of bank notes as legal tender.

However, before this announcement was made, the hardship occasioned by the scarcity of banknotes led to the deaths of many in their homes and in queues in banks and Point of Sale (POS) centres nationwide. It also led to violent protests and riots in many towns and cities where many lives were equally lost, banks and their Automated Teller Machines (ATM) were vandalised and set on fire. As of today, many of the affected bank branches are yet to reopen for partial and/or complete operations.

2023 general election

In February and March, millions of Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new set of leaders. The last presidential election remains the most competitive presidential election in the country since the return of democracy in 1999. Though the two major political parties in the country –the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)– have exerted dominance at the centre for many years, the 2023 election saw the introduction of a strong challenger, the Labour Party (LP), which rode on the support of many young people.

Also elected during the general polls are governors, lawmakers and senators into the state and federal legislative chambers nationwide.

Just like the previous elections, the 2023 elections gave a whole lot of Nigerians hope as many looked forward to the change of government, but at the end of the elections, many Nigerians, particularly those supporting opposition parties, were not satisfied with the outcome of the elections that was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Those aggrieved by the outcome of the election sought a redress at the Presidential Election Court and the Supreme Court but both courts failed to overturn the outcome of the said election. The doubts surrounding the conduct of the presidential election were laid to rest on October 26, 2023, ending the tension that has gripped the country and put the citizens on edge for many months.

Petrol subsidy removal

While many hoped that the transition of government would usher in ease and peace of mind for them, they were, however, astonished that President Tinubu, upon the assumption of office, declared an end to the payment of petrol subsidy by the government.

“Fuel subsidy is gone. Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources,” Tinubu said in his inaugural address. The announcement was made on the premise that the outgone administration of President Muhammadu Buhari did not make provision for petrol subsidy in the year’s budget.

Following the pronouncement, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) released a new petrol pricing template across the nation which took place on 31 May.

While some people applauded the president for taking a bold step immediately after taking the oath of office, many others condemned the decision because, they believed, it would worsen the situation of Nigerians.

As they predicted, many Nigerians are presently experiencing increased hardship as a result of a hike in the pump price of petrol, despite the various palliatives initiated by the government to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal. The cost of transportation, basic foodstuff and other items skyrocketed.

Senator Ekweremadu’s sentencing

In May, Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, were sentenced to jail by a UK court after they were found guilty of an organ trafficking plot.

The 21-year-old victim, a street trader from Lagos, was taken to the UK last year, according to reports, to provide a private kidney transplant for the senator’s daughter, Sonia, at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

The prosecution said the victim was offered up to £7,000 and promised opportunities in the UK for helping, and that he only realised what was going on when he met doctors at the hospital

It was alleged the defendants tried to convince medics at the Royal Free by pretending the victim was Sonia’s cousin, who has a debilitating illness and remains on weekly dialysis, when they were not related.

The report went on further to explain that the boy, while relaying his fears, told the police that “the doctor said I was too young but the man said if you do not do it here, he would carry me back to Nigeria and do it there.”

Guinness World Record breakers

The year also witnessed a disturbing craving for Guinness World Record recognition after 26-year-old chef, Hilda Bassey Effiong, attempted and adjudged holder of the longest cooking time by an individual.

While Indian chef, Tata Landon, was honoured by GWR for cooking for 87 hours and 45 minutes non-stop in 2019, Bassey, who stopped cooking after 100 hours between Thursday, May 11 and Monday, May 15, was only awarded 93 hours and 11 minutes following a miscalculation of her breaks.

While her hopes for support from many Nigerians came true, what she didn’t envisage was how her attempt would spike a crazy sensation and craving for GWR recognition among many Nigerians as it later turned out.

The “pure waterisation” of GWR recognition among Nigerians took a turn for the worse as many young persons made several attempts to break other records without following due process.

Notable among the lots that jumped on the train was Damilola Adeparusi who attempted to break the cooking marathon record while Hilda Baci’s attempt was yet to be formally recognised by GWR. Adeparusi’s decision drew wide condemnation from a section of the public and generated heated debates on social media. Related to it, another Ondo State-based chef, Adeola Adeyeye, also attempted to break the cooking marathon record between June and July.

The craving for GWR recognition among Nigerians came from different areas including cooking, singing, laundry, massage, hairstyling and crying, among others. It got to a point where the government of Ekiti State announced a ban on a planned three-day kissing marathon which was scheduled to take place in the state.

Boat capsizes in Kwara

On 12 June 2023, a vessel capsized and split in two inside the Niger River and killed scores of people. The incident happened near Pategi, Kwara State. The vessel was reportedly carrying around 300 passengers from Kwara State to Niger State after a wedding ceremony.

While the Emir of Patigi, Ibrahim Umar Bologi II, who is the traditional ruler of the area where the accident happened reportedly claimed that more than 150 people were feared to have drowned, the police said about 103 died in the incident.

Mohbad’s death

The unexplained circumstances that led to the death of 27-year-old Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as MohBad fuelled an outpouring of grief among his fans and sent ripples through the multibillion-dollar Afrobeats music genre.

Before his death, Mohbad had sent a petition to Nigeria’s main criminal investigation department alleging assault and threats to his life by his former boss Naira Marley, with whom he had been feuding after leaving his label, ‘Marlian Records’.

That revelation and many others that followed it didn’t go well as his fans who marched through the streets of several cities calling for a thorough investigation. Spontaneous memorial gatherings were also organised in London, Canada and the US, and the #JusticeforMohBad hashtag went viral on social media during the period. A protest was also organised to demand justice for him in Lagos on the 21 of September, where people were seen chanting solidarity slogans. These protests and nationwide outcry forced police to invite suspects and persons of interest.

MohBad was brought up in Ikorodu, Lagos State and is popular for his mixture of native Yoruba and pidgin English to deliver catchy and streetwise “Afro-Adura” rap including his 2020 hit single Ko Por Ke (KPK).

Attacks on erection industry

The year also witnessed the resurgence of perceived manhood thefts across the country as multiple cases of penis thefts were reported in Calabar, Abuja, Kaduna and several other states.

While some of the victims of these thefts said, a handshake or subtle body contact is all that the culprit needs, such claims have been discountenanced by medical experts as a ruse and ploy to spread fake news and cause harm.

In Abuja for instance, the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr Haruna Garba, sometime in October, said 14 male residents of Abuja were prosecuted for raising false alarms that their penises were missing. He also disclosed that 10 people alleged to be responsible for the missing organs were also saved from lynching by mobs in different parts of the FCT.

He added that the police decided to arraign the men in court when it was discovered that their claims were untrue after medical examinations.

Rising inflation

Another major occurrence in the year under review is the consistent increase in the nation’s inflation rate over eleven months, thus putting many Nigerians in a precarious situation as their purchasing power significantly grew weaker at a point in time when their income and spending power both dwindled.

The November 2023 inflation rate, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was an all-time high in the last 18 years. NBS noted that the headline inflation rate for November was 28.20 per cent, increasing by 0.87 per cent from 27.33 per cent that was recorded in October 2023.

The food inflation rate in November 2023 was 32.84 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.72 per cent higher compared to the 24.13 per cent recorded in November 2022. The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables, coffee, tea, and cocoa.

On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in November 2023 was 2.42 per cent. This was 0.51 per cent higher compared to the 1.91 per cent recorded in October 2023.

The rise in food inflation on a month-on-month basis was caused by a rise in the rate of increase in the average prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, meat, coffee, tea, cocoa, potatoes, yam, and other tubers.

The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve months ending November 2023 over the previous twelve-month average was 27.09 per cent, which was a 6.68 per cent point increase from the average annual rate of 20.41 per cent change recorded in November 2022.

Military bombing of civilians

On December 3rd, villagers in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State gathered for the Maulud celebration. What they thought sounded like an airplane at about 9 pm and a huge explosion was a military drone strike that accidentally killed at least 85 civilians, many of whom were women and children.

It was later learnt that the military was targeting a group of armed gangs when it inadvertently struck the innocent villagers. The incident highlighted a pattern of deadly aerial assaults by the Nigerian military as it targets armed gangs responsible for kidnappings and killings in the north-west of the country.

“We couldn’t even run,” said Danjuma Salisu, one of the survivors who was being treated for hand and leg injuries.

The Nigerian army chief, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, visited Tudun Biri and apologised for the air strike, alongside representatives from the Kaduna State government who met village elders and promised that those affected would be compensated.

While describing the incident as unfortunate, President Tinubu has since ordered an investigation into the circumstances leading to the attack.

Oshoala, Osimhen covet African Footballer of the Year awards

Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and compatriot, Asisat Oshoala, have both been named African Footballer of the Year in the men’s and women’s categories respectively. While the Napoli striker is the first Nigerian player to win the award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999, Oshoala won the award for a record sixth time.

Osimhen who scored 26 goals and topped the Serie A scoring charts as he helped Napoli end a 33-year wait for the Italian title last season pipped Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Paris Saint-Germain’s Moroccan wing-back, Achraf Hakimi, for the top prize.

“It is a dream come true,” the 24-year-old Osimhen said at the ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco. “I have to thank everybody who has helped me on this journey, and all Africans who have helped to put me on the map despite my faults.”

29-year-old Oshoala, who beat South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia’s Barbra Banda to claim the award, which she also won in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022, overcame injury to help Nigeria reach the last 16 at the 2023 World Cup, where they were beaten by England. She also won the Women’s Champions League and Spanish title with Barcelona.

Plateau Christmas massacre

Another in the series of senseless killings that characterised Nigeria in the year under review is the Christmas Eve massacre of over 150 people in three different local government areas in Plateau State.

The unprovoked and well-coordinated attack took place in several communities while people had finished preparing for Christmas. However, this fresh incident is not the first as several other attacks and killings were reported in the past in the area.

In his response to the attack, Governor Caleb Mutfwnag said: “As I’m talking to you, in Mangun Local Government alone, we buried at least 15 people. So far this morning in the Bokkos Local Government, we were counting not less than 100 corpses. I have yet to take stock of that of Barki-Ladi. Most of the communities affected in Barki-Ladi share a border with the Bokkos Local Government.”

He also disclosed that no fewer than 64 communities in the state had been displaced by armed groups who were occupying schools in the local area.

According to some analysts, there has been a long-time strife in the state between indigenous minority groups, mostly Christian or animist, and migrants and settlers from the Hausa-speaking Muslim North over the control of fertile farmlands.

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