IN 2025, Nigeria endured a year of profound challenges, bold reforms, and shifting dynamics across politics, economy, security, and society.
Here are the five most impactful events that defined the nation’s trajectory, based on their lasting influence on governance, public life, and international relations.
Sweeping Tax Reforms and Economic Overhaul
In June, President Bola Tinubu signed four comprehensive tax reform bills into law—the most significant fiscal restructuring in decades. These included the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, and the establishment of a new Nigeria Revenue Service. Aimed at boosting revenue, streamlining collection, and improving the business environment, the reforms were hailed as a milestone for attracting investment. However, amid persistent high inflation, a massive revenue shortfall (only N10.7 trillion realized against a N40.8 trillion projection), and rising poverty affecting over 139 million Nigerians, they underscored the ongoing economic hardship and sparked debates on whether macroeconomic gains were trickling down to ordinary citizens.
Political Tsunami: Mass Defections and the Rise of APC Dominance
2025 saw an unprecedented wave of political defections, with scores of senators, House members, state assembly lawmakers, and key figures switching parties—mostly to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This shifted Nigeria toward a de-facto one-party dominant system, weakening opposition parties like the PDP. High-profile moves included sweeping changes in the South-South region, dismantling PDP’s longtime stronghold, and figures like former VP Atiku Abubakar joining the African Democratic Congress as a potential “third force.” The year also featured intense political realignments ahead of 2027 elections, highlighting survival over ideology in Nigerian politics.
Devastating Floods and Natural Disasters
Nigeria faced one of its worst flooding seasons, with the Mokwa flood in May alone claiming hundreds of lives, followed by widespread destruction across states like Niger, Kwara, and Borno (including the Alau dam collapse). Combined with other tragedies like the Suleja fuel tanker explosion that killed nearly 100, these events displaced thousands, destroyed farmland, and exacerbated food insecurity. They reignited urgent discussions on climate resilience, poor infrastructure, and government preparedness, exposing vulnerabilities in a year already strained by economic pressures.
Escalating Insecurity and U.S. Military Intervention
Persistent banditry, kidnappings, Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks, and jihadist violence plagued the Northwest and Northeast, with Nigeria ranking sixth on the Global Terrorism Index. A late-December suicide bombing in Maiduguri and ongoing raids underscored the threat. The year’s most dramatic turn came on Christmas Day when the U.S., under President Trump, conducted airstrikes on alleged Islamic State camps in northwest Nigeria (Sokoto State), framing it partly as countering “Christian persecution.” Coordinated with Nigerian forces, the strikes marked a rare direct U.S. intervention, raising questions about sovereignty, the accuracy of targets, and the complex roots of Nigeria’s multi-faceted insecurity. Crisis in
Rivers State: Emergency Rule and Regional Political Upheaval
The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State—from March to September—suspended the governor, deputy, and state assembly amid escalating political tensions. This unprecedented federal intervention tested constitutional boundaries and symbolized broader strains on democracy. Coupled with defections collapsing PDP dominance in the South-South (an oil-rich region long seen as its fortress), it reshaped regional power dynamics and fueled national debates on federalism, party loyalty, and governance stability.