This year has been a year of groundbreaking and unexpected developments across the world, including in Nigeria, in all facet of human endeavour: business, politics, governance, economy, technology, religion, leadership, relationship, education, healthcare, travels, transportation, oil & gas, energy, diplomacy, sport, music, entertainment, etc. The year began with a fractured world trying to make sense of happenings worldwide, including climate worries, economic hardships, insecurity, wars, political turmoil, rapid technological growth, food crises, social unrests, green economy, and many more, seeking answers and searching for solutions.
These events were pivotal and they shaped attitudes, relationships, beliefs, and much of our activities in the year. Many of these events will continue to define what we do and how we do things in the coming year or even beyond. I have highlighted below some of these events.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery commenced operation
After decades of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s/Company’s (NNPC’s) bungling of the country’s petroleum refining assets, which eventually led to the total and complete dependence on the importation of petroleum products, the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery eventually commenced operations this year. Thus, for the first time in decades Nigeria and Nigerians have access to petroleum products refined in the country thereby breaking the unhealthy dependence on imported oil.
The breaking of the importation monopoly by Dangote was not without some shenanigans from NNPC and the so-called cabal who did everything to scuttle the landmark development. The Dangote Refinery will save the country billions of dollars in importation of refined fuel and the opaque pricing template used by NNPC’s subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, which has perpetually kept fuel prices high.
Momentous LG Supreme Court judgement
The country’s Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement on the financial autonomy of local governments. State governments have for years taken local governments hostage, collecting monies accruing to the LGs from the federal purse, supposedly for onward transfer to the local councils, and spending such allocations as they pleased, unchallenged. The apex court has declared that illegal and ordered the federal government to transfer the LGs financial allocations directly to the LG accounts. Expectedly, state governments fought and resisted it until they were faced down by the court. The judgement has many ramifications for grassroots development and poverty alleviation.
Black woman leads a major party in Britain
Kemi Badenoch, a black woman from Nigeria became the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party. Britons were dissatisfied with the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak and before him by Liz Truss. The country showed its discontent in the last elections when the populace voted the party out of office, preferring the Labour Party. Following the loss, the Conservative Party needed new leadership to pilot its affairs. The party turned to Mrs. Badenoch, thus making her Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Conservative Party and in the process becoming the first black woman to hold both offices. What that means is that she’s in line to become the first black prime minister in the history of the country. It would be interesting to see what the future holds for Badenoch, the Conservative Party and Britain.
Return of Donald Trump
Against all odds, Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election. He left the White House in 2021 in a cloud of controversy following the attack on the Capitol Hill by his supporters who tried, with his blessings, to forcefully overturn the results of the election that brought Joe Biden into power. The attacks led to investigations of Trump coupled with other ongoing criminal investigations against him. He was eventually convicted of crimes related to his business dealings and so when he stepped forward to again vie for the presidency many predicted that the conviction was a nail in the coffin of his attempt to take back the White House. Trump didn’t help his case much by remaining his brash self thereby alienating many would-be supporters. In a surprise twist however, he won a landslide against his Democratic opponent and current Vice President, Kamala Harris. He has promised mass deportation of undocumented foreign nationals. Americans and many foreign residents in the US are likely in for another bumpy Trump ride starting from next year.
Hydrogen-powered air taxi
In July this year Joby Aviation tested its flying car-like aircraft and the craft flew 523 miles, about 850 kilometers, on hydrogen power. That’s about the distance between Lagos and Kano. The aircraft, like a chopper, can take off or land vertically. And the beauty is that because it uses hydrogen it is environmentally friendly, emitting only water vapour as it flies. Many other companies, like Joby, are also trying to develop vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (VTOLS). With Joby’s breakthrough, air taxi travels within a country may soon become a reality. In a country like Nigeria where bad roads and poor road networks often lengthen travel times between states causing discomforts, pains, and economic losses, such a taxi will become very useful. Rather than travel by roads or having to fit your travel schedules to commercial airlines, one could simply order an air taxi and take off right in front of his home or his backyard. Mobility has always been central to human development and as the world innovate with electric vehicles why not a hydrogen-powered air taxi.
Human cloning is back on the table
Generative artificial intelligence has ensured that human cloning, which has for long generated heated debates on its benefits and dangers leading to its abandonment, is back on the table, though this time in digital form. AI stepped up a gear higher in 2024 when it unlocked the possibility of creating an interactive digital twin of an individual complete with the individual’s voice, face, and mannerism, making it difficult to easily spot as a digital clone. A digital clone of British Broadcasting Corporation’s Joe Tidy was built by Engineers at Fraia AI and the cloned Tidy held a virtual meeting with the real Tidy’s colleagues. This will definitely redefine how we interact and engage with each other in the future.
Symani Surgical System
Will you ever allow yourself to be operated on by a robot? Well, you may sooner than later be faced with such possibility if you ever require surgery. Early this year, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the Symani surgical system for use in hospitals. The robot already has some great numbers under its belt. It has racked up about 1000 surgeries across 17 procedures in Europe. The surgical robot is designed to work on the minutest vessels thus providing a breakthrough in super microsurgery and microsurgery. This surgical wonder has addressed the movement limits of human hands as it can reach to the tightest of spaces.
New minimum wage
The government finally reviewed the country’s minimum wage, five years after the last exercise and following several months of bickering between governments and labour unions over an appropriate wage for workers.
These developments and many others defined 2024. A few days from now, the world will usher in 2025. It is hoped that 2025 will bring more incredible developments. For instance, that a peaceful solution will finally be achieved between Israel and Palestine, the war between Ukraine and Russia will come to an end, or Nigeria’s food crisis, growing poverty, and unemployment will cease.
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