By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The year 2025 has seen major government decisions that shaped the affairs of Nigeria, from governance, finance, security, and education, among others.
While some of these decisions sparked controversies, others offered hope, and still others were met with resistance from Nigerians, all of which shaped the course of the nation.
In this report, Impact Nigeria Newspaper highlights some of these decisions, including the emergency rule in Rivers State, the shake-up of the military hierarchy, the hike in passport processing fees, and the presidential pardon list.
1. Six-month emergency rule in Rivers State
One of the major issues that drew widespread attention from Nigerians in 2025 was the six-month emergency rule declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu in March.
While announcing the emergency rule, Tinubu suspended the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the deputy governor, and all state lawmakers for six months, and appointed a retired Navy Vice-Admiral, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as Sole Administrator.
The move followed a protracted political crisis in the state, during which the governor dissolved the state legislature.
The political crisis in the state was severally attributed to the power struggle between former Rivers State governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Governor Fubara.
The government said the intervention was needed to restore order, protect vital oil assets, and foster cooperation among political stakeholders.
The emergency rule was lifted in September, reinstating the suspended officials and returning the state to constitutional governance.
The declaration drew the ire of opposition politicians, who described the decision as an attempt to override the people’s mandate, arguing that the president had no constitutional right to remove elected officials simply by declaring an emergency.
2. 100% passport fee hike
Another government decision that shaped the year 2025 was the 100 per cent increase in the national passport fee. In August 2025, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced that, effective September 1, the standard five-year passport would now cost N100,000 from a previous cost of N50,000, while the ten-year passport would be N200,000 from N100,000 previously.
According to the NIS, the increase was needed to fund automated processing, reduce issuance delays, and strengthen passport security.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, explained that the reforms would allow applicants to receive passports within a week, a departure from the month‑long delays that characterised passport issuance.
The move, however, did not sit well with Nigerians who described the hike as arbitrary and urged the government to provide exemptions or subsidies for low-income citizens. Labour and civil society organisations, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, condemned the increase as “exploitative,” especially at a time of economic hardship and inflation.
3. Tax overhaul
In a move to simplify tax compliance, broaden the tax base and reduce leakage, the President Bola Tinubu’s government overhauled the Nigerian tax administration system and introduced four tax reform Acts, including the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025 (NRS) and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
These bills were signed into law in June 2025 by President Tinubu and effectively repealed and consolidated multiple outdated tax statutes, repealed complex overlapping tax laws, and established a new, centralised revenue-collecting body.
The tax laws, two of which took effect in June with the others to become effective on January 1, 2026, will alter how businesses operate and how public finances are generated.
4. Military hierarchy shake-up
In October 2025, President Tinubu announced a sweeping reshuffle in the military hierarchy, replacing most of the top service chiefs to reposition the nation’s security architecture.
The shake-up saw former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and promoted to the rank of a General; Major General Wahidi Shaibu was appointed as Chief of Army Staff and decorated with the rank of Lieutenant-General; Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke was appointed as Chief of Air Staff and promoted to the rank of Air Marshall; and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, appointed as Chief of Naval Staff, was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel A.P. Undiendeye, who was retained by the president, was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General.
The Presidency said the reshuffle, which came at a time when Nigeria was dealing with persistent violence, insurgency, banditry, and unrest across multiple regions, was to strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture.
5. Presidential pardon controversy
In the exercise of his constitutional prerogative of mercy, President Tinubu, in October 2025, granted pardon to 175 Nigerians convicted of various crimes and serving various prison terms.
The president said the decision followed recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The presidential pardon list was divided into six categories: pardoned individuals, posthumous pardons (including the Ogoni Nine), victims of the Ogoni Nine honoured, clemency beneficiaries, inmates recommended for reduced terms, and inmates on death row whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.
The list included Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 for culpable homicide and sentenced to death by hanging for the killing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, following a domestic dispute in 2017.
The inclusion of Sanda in the list triggered widespread public outrage, with many Nigerians, including the family of the deceased, condemning the decision.
Opposition figures and civil society voices warned that pardoning a capital offence convict set a dangerous precedent and risked undermining public trust in justice.
Following the backlash, the presidency re-reviewed the clemency list, and by late October 2025, Sanda was removed from the outright pardon list; instead, her death sentence was commuted to a 12-year jail term.
The final clemency exercise saw a reduction in the number of beneficiaries, with many convicted for serious crimes, including homicide, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and arms offences, removed.
