Top Predictions for 2024

Like a pregnant woman in the final days of her last trimester, the year 2023 draws to a fateful end. Although 2023 leaves quietly, it has been an eventful year. It brought us a fair share of political upset, economic uncertainty, drama in the entertainment world, and even war. As the curtain slowly but certainly draws down on this year and ushers in the next, we can’t help but wonder what 2024 holds for the world.

Unfortunately, humans do not have the natural ability to see the future — at least not yet — which leaves us with a lot of uncertainty about the future. This uncertainty about an event that has so many consequences (s) for our existence makes us anxious. On the other hand, we possess enough information processing ability to make informed decisions about the future. Economists, for instance, use data to predict what the state of our economy will be in a few months.

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I present here a list of predictions I have made for 2024. These predictions are based on information that I have processed throughout 2023, and my gut feelings. Since every run-of-the-mill motivational speaker asks us to trust our gut feeling, I have high confidence that the combination of my gut feeling and my skills at calculating mathematical probability make a great combo. This is why I want you to do 2 things; (1) I want you to hold me to account. By this time next year, hold me accountable for my predictions. (2) Use the comment section to add your own predictions.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s jump right into it.

1. COP 29 will be a washout: There was a lot of noise this year about COP28, which took place in Dubai. This year’s event was hugely successful. For the first time in history, fossil fuels were included in a UN climate change text, and all countries agreed that fossil fuels are a huge contributor to global warming. Next year, the COP will be moving to Baku, Azerbaijan. I predict that the participating countries will want to take a break from the history-making. There will be a lot of in-fighting and frantic negotiations, but nothing on the magnitude of the history made in COP 28 will be repeated at the Baku event.

2. We will record the hottest days ever: We are set to break records again next year by having the hottest day in the history of the planet since we started keeping records. It’ll be sometime around July. Also, expect that the media won’t relent in giving us news about climate armageddon.

3. Donald Trump to win the 2024 US presidential elections: In an interesting twist of events, Donald Trump will narrowly beat Joe Biden to become the 47th president of the US. Biden’s age is a major problem Although Trump is of the same generation as Biden, Trump looks much stronger, and he will press any advantage he feels he can get over Biden. President Biden has also done a good job with the US economy, but his message isn’t getting out there much. The only way event that will deny Trump a victory over Biden is if Trump is banned from contesting by the courts or legally prevented from claiming victory. This is a possibility considering Trump is knee-deep in legal cases at the moment.

4. A world leader will die next year: One person who has been a political leader for decades will succumb to the hands of death next year. I have a name in mind but due to the real risk of a lawsuit, I won’t mention the name. I will give you some clues, however. This political leader is male. He is outspoken and is a former president of the United States. Go figure!

5. We will escape a global recession, again: This year, we held our breath for the US economy, and then for the UK economy. The global economy has been living under the shadow of Covid 19 and the War in Ukraine. The massive inflation we experienced around the world was expected to be followed by a global recession, but central bank chiefs and policymakers around the world worked around the clock to give the global economy a safe and cushioned landing. Just like in 2023, we would dodge the bullet of an economic recession in 2024.

6. Israel occupies Gaza: Israel will continue to wage war against Hamas in Gaza. This will lead to the reoccupation of Gaza by Israel and the continued annexation of historical Palestinian lands. If care isn’t taken, 2024 will bring political turmoil in Israel, leading to Benjamin Netanyahu losing his seat as the Prime Minister of Israel. This is the most serious consequence he will face from the voters for the Hamas attack.

7. Davido wins a Grammy: Multiple award-winning Nigerian afrobeat artist, Davido, will have his biggest dream come true. The singer has wanted a Grammy since his mates Burnaboy and Wizkid won theirs. In 2024, he will get his turn on the big stage and go home with a shiny medal at the Grammy Awards.

Please feel free to add your predictions for the coming year — let’s get the fun rolling.

I wish you a happy new year.

This section was added on 26th/12/2023

Just as I thought I had exhausted my predictions for 2024, I received another inspiration. I don’t know if I’ll get any further inspirations, or when the inspirations will stop coming. Therefore, I have decided to turn this article into an open journal which I will update as I get more inspiration. The journal will be officially closed on December 31st, 2023. You can also contribute to this journal in the comment section.

8. There will be a “civil war” in the catholic church: The atmosphere in the catholic church next year will be hot as the conservative faction of the catholic clergy fights tooth and nail against the efforts of Pope Francis to liberalize the church doctrine. We already have a taste of the coming drama. This December, the Vatican approved letting catholic priests bless same-sex marriage. This announcement caused a lot of discomfort in the catholic population, especially in Africa, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe. The Pope’s discourse on the future of the catholic church titled the ‘Synod on Synodality’ will end next year. I predict that at the end of the synod in 2024, the Pope will announce a series of progressive changes to catholic doctrine, which will not sit well with the conservative catholic lobby. The conservative lobby will push back against the pope, thereby triggering a standoff between on one side the progressive wings of the catholic church led by Pope Francis, and on the other side the conservative wing of the church.