Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba has urged Nigerians to approach 2026 with realism, discipline and clarity of purpose, warning that the year will reward hard choices rather than comforting illusions.
In a New Year message titled “A Year of Multiple Graces and Blessings”, the professor of Agricultural Economics and former Vice Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo said 2026 offers opportunities for progress only to those willing to confront reality and abandon pretence.
Reflecting on 2025, Nwajiuba described the year as one of promise that yielded tangible outcomes for people who stayed focused despite mounting economic and social pressures. He noted that many Nigerians experienced decisive interventions that reshaped personal and professional trajectories, even amid widespread hardship.
He said recent years have tested livelihoods and national confidence, creating uncertainty that has left many struggling to interpret the direction of the country. According to him, 2026 presents a chance for clarity, but only for those prepared to look closely and act deliberately.
Using a vivid metaphor, Nwajiuba likened the year to stirred water allowed to settle. Clarity, he said, does not appear automatically but becomes visible only to those with vision and patience. He stressed that discernment would separate progress from error in the months ahead.
The former vice chancellor also drew attention to events at the close of 2025, particularly foreign military actions on Nigerian soil, which he said forced a reassessment of national strength and sovereignty. He argued that the episode exposed long held assumptions and underlined the need for honest self-appraisal at both national and individual levels.
According to Nwajiuba, 2026 demands practicality rather than rhetoric. He expressed cautious optimism that the year could bring reduced insecurity, stronger economic activity and increased political engagement, provided leaders and citizens alike act with intention and restraint.
He maintained that progress would favour those who work strategically, build skills and resist frivolity. The year, he said, is not suited to wishful thinking or entitlement, but to learning, self improvement and sustained effort.
Nwajiuba encouraged Nigerians to combine prayer with vigilance, emphasising that effort must accompany faith. He concluded that the promise of multiple graces in 2026 rests on realistic planning, disciplined action and an unflinching view of present realities.
By Einstein Chukwu