Again, happy new year, folks! As we all know, stepping into a new year is all about fresh starts, new beginnings, and (let’s be real) making promises we might not keep. But in all seriousness, the start of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on what we want to achieve, and how we plan to make it happen.
That’s why we asked Nigerians to share their New Year’s resolutions for 2025. From career goals to personal growth, and from the relatable to the ridiculous, their responses are motivating reminders that we’re all in this together.
So, what do Nigerians want to achieve in 2025? Here’s what ten people had to say:
Mariam
My resolution for the year is broken down across career, faith, money and enjoyment. It breaks down what goals I want to achieve at the end of the year, how much money I want to save, and what I can do to be a better Muslim. The enjoyment is simple stuff I enjoy like skincare and the books I want to buy.
Every year I make resolutions, I follow through on most of them. Before I wrote out what I wanted for 2025, I listed what I achieved in 2024 and realised that I hit 70% of my 2024 goals. I wrote out the resolution for 2025 in my app note and I’ll check it regularly to ensure I’m on the right track.
Olayemi*
My resolution for the year is to get better at my job. That is, improving my writing, my knowledge about the things that I cover and my source list, and connecting more with people doing incredible work in my ecosystem. I didn’t follow through with all my resolutions for 2024, and even this year, it’s been hard — because new year resolutions involve a change of habit and carving out time for new things you think are worth pursuing. That’s really been difficult, changing old habits and some things I still do.
And of course, I know that most of what I see is an accumulation of small, tiny habits: read one hour today, read one hour tomorrow, eventually by the end of the month, one has probably finished reading four books. Everyone already has busy lives, but it’s the intention of carving out time for something and sticking to it. Being disciplined about it is usually hard for most people and for me as well. But this year, we go again — we no gree, because eventually my life’s in my hands and it’s up to me what I make of it.
Mikun
I no longer work with resolutions, I work with prophecies and it’s much more effective. For example, I knew everything that happened to me in 2024 will happen right from the last days of 2023. God told me everything and I wrote them down. To help me visualise it, I put the visions together in one picture. Occasionally, I get visions about what God is willing to share about the people around me as well. I also told my friends what He had told me because I needed witnesses. God told me everything, down to December. So I’ve ditched resolutions since then. I follow prophecy and God’s instructions.
I have no resolution for 2025 either. My ultimate goal is to seek the kingdom of God. That’s all He told me for this year. And no, I’m helped by God so I don’t backslide on His instructions.
I put aside resolutions and started to work with prophecy in 2024 because that was the year I started hearing God and trusting His leading. I used to be a control freak, so I was a fan of resolutions. They used to fail like mad. For example, in 2023, I told myself that I was going to make my first million. I worked so hard but I didn’t hit it. I did in 2024 and it was a gift. In 2024, I did everything God told me and more. There was something He told me about November 2024 and I was terrified it wouldn’t happen, but it did. When you follow visions, you have a divine advantage. It’s really beautiful. To be honest, I don’t do anything outside the Holy Spirit. I don’t have habits that He can’t break. I had an addiction to soda and I wanted to stop it. I told Him about it and it’s been easy since then. Sometimes, prophecies can come in the form of instructions that would require you to drop certain habits.
Philemon
I don’t think they’re new year resolutions. I like to think of them as goals I’d like to achieve because they’ve been my goals even before 2025. I’ve never really written down a new year’s resolution. I didn’t have any new year’s resolutions for 2024. My goals were to improve my craft and value, which I think I did.
This year, I have goals I’d like to achieve and I work towards. The first and the most important is to get more money. I’m also keen on improving my health and value as an individual and a professional. I also want to build my body. That’s all.
Betty
My new year resolution is to deepen my creative explorations: write more and paint more. I spent last year in a pessimistic struggle for survival. 2025 is a nice year to make a change. I don’t usually have new year’s resolutions, but I follow through like 50% according to my track record.
Chigor
I actually don’t follow up with my plans. I usually come into the new year with plenty of energy and then back slide later. Last year for instance, one of the things I said I was going to do was workout, but I only did it till March and stopped. I backslided on some other plans last year that I can’t really start listing. But there are some like working out, making more friends, putting my work out there and stuff that I achieved.
The effort I make to follow through with my resolutions is mostly not calling them “resolutions” and making them a big deal, because once it’s framed as a big deal, my brain sort of taps out along the line. So, I’m just taking things one step at a time. For 2025, I don’t really have a “resolution,” but one thing I’ve acknowledged I want to do this year is go out more. I already aligned with one of my friends on this. We’re supposed to have a call this weekend about it actually.
Bobga
I didn’t set clear resolutions in 2024, to be honest. I went with the flow for most of it. Though it wasn’t horrible because I was very malleable and adjusted to situations better. For instance, I’d been waiting for my results to get cleared, so I could go do my NYSC, but I wasn’t sure when they’d clear it. So whenever I got disappointed by the school, I just made short term decisions that I believed would add up in the long run, like learning to mix vocals, or taking tutorials to improve my visual art.
This 2025 is the first time I’m setting clear resolutions. I want to hit the gym and bulk up. I want to drop more projects as an artist, explore more genres as an artist too. I also plan to be more outgoing.
Samuel
My resolution for the new year is to get a job that pays in dollars because I’m currently too poor to live in this country with my current income as a graphic and product designer. Also, I want to work more on my music this year.
I had a resolution to learn product design in 2024 and I followed through. I always try my best to follow through because my resolutions are very critical to my life. This new year, I’m taking one step at a time and staying positive.
Owoh
My resolution this year is to try as much as possible to stay sober. I want to cut down my drinking and smoking habits this year and focus on working out. My body needs a break and the exercises. My resolution for 2024 was to earn bigger and I did it. I got a new job and doubled my income. In 2025, I’m confident I’ll make more money than I did last year, but my health is my top priority this year. My HMO covers gym membership, which I’m super grateful for, and I’ve already registered and started working out small small.
Dinho
The thing about resolutions is that I’m always backsliding. I don’t think I’ve ever made a resolution and seen it through. Funny, I didn’t have any resolutions in 2024, I just wanted to get through the year. Regardless, what’s life if we don’t strive?
2025, so help me God, I intend to be more disciplined about showing up everyday. I genuinely believe it’s the key to success in my life. I’ve been committing to that by following the routine I created for myself to optimize workflow last year. I’m not taking any unnecessary days off.
