Abuja, Nigeria. June 24th, 2019 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing June, 3rd, 2019 has revealed that most Nigerians (84 percent) believe that the issue of child labour is prevalent in the country. The poll further showed that 8 in 10 Nigerians claimed that they normally see children engage in various forms of labour in their respective localities. Data from International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that the number of working children under the age of 14 in Nigeria is estimated to be 15 million.[1] According to the Country Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Dennis Zulu, during a two-days’ workshop on ACCEL Africa on Friday May 3rd in Abuja, statistics revealed that about 43 percent of children in Nigeria aged between 5 to 10 years were involved in child labour. Despite several measures to combat child labour, it continues to remain a great concern in Nigeria. The Child Rights Act which was passed into law in 2003 defines a child as one who is below the age of eighteen years and it categorically provides that such a child’s best interests shall remain paramount in all considerations. Sixteen years after being incorporated into Nigerian law, the child labour situation has remained a major issue as millions of children are still engaged in child labour activities. For instance, the poll revealed that children are often seen engaged in street hawking (58 percent), domestic work (11 percent) and street begging (10 percent) amongst other labour activities within their localities. Perception on street hawking showed that it is most predominant in the Southern region (79 percent on the average) than in the Northern region (43 percent on the average). However, opinions revealed that street begging and domestic work are highest in the Northern region than in the Southern region. Interestingly, Nigerians blamed the prevalence of child labour on poverty (58 percent), parental neglect (16 percent) and bad economy (10 percent). Moreover, most of the respondents (27 percent) from the poll recommended that more jobs should be created as the rate unemployment in the country could be a contributing factor in the issue of child labour. In addition, 21 percent suggested that government should improve the economy, 18 percent advocated for free education amongst other recommendations. It is therefore, important that the government and concerned stakeholders’ work together to tackle the issue of child labour by implementing more programmes to eradicate poverty and improve the conditions of workers. Government should also create an enabling environment for small scale businesses to thrive in Nigeria in order to improve the economy and increase the employment opportunities. Poll Background The menace of child labour in Nigeria has indeed become a front burner issue in the country which requires urgent attention from all and sundry. Of utmost concern are the implications and the devastating e­ects of child labour on both the child and the society which is better imagined. It is worrisome that most parents are ignorant of such implications while others see it as the new norm for children to beg or hawk on the streets. Child labour refers to the exploitation of children under the age of 18 years through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school; and is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful.[2] Such exploitation is frowned at and prohibited worldwide. It must be clearly stated that these prohibitions do not consider all work by children as child labour; exceptions include work by child artist, family duties and supervised training. Some activities like street hawking, domestic work, street begging, cargo loading, bus conductor, labourers, family business, farming, auto mechanic etc. done by children below the age of 18 years in order to survive are all termed as child labour In Nigeria, many children are seen on a daily basis undertaking one form of labour or the other as enumerated above in order to make a living. Due to certain cultural and religious beliefs, some parents subject their children to child labour as a way to augment their income, others are of the opinion that it is as a result of high rate of poverty and unemployment bedevilling the country. UNICEF’s recent report on child labour revealed that a staggering 15 million children under the age of 14 are working in various fields across Nigeria. Many are exposed to long hours of work in dangerous and unhealthy environments, carrying too much responsibility for their age. Working in these hazardous conditions with little food, small pay, no education and no medical care establishes a cycle of child right violations. Given the statistics above, Nigeria has a high number of children who are engaged in child labour and this calls for a decisive measure to curb this menace and also pro­ffer a solution to it. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted a survey to gauge the opinions of Nigerians regarding child labour and various ways to curb it. Poll Findings The first question gauged the prevalence of child labour in Nigeria and findings from the poll are particularly worrisome as a large share (84 percent) of respondents nationwide believe that the issue of child labour is prevalent in Nigeria. This corroborates findings from International Labour Organization (ILO) which revealed that the number of working children under the age of 14 in Nigeria is estimated to be 15 million.[3] Furthermore, trend analysis revealed a 10 percent decline when current finding is compared with the result obtained 2013. This suggests that concerned stakeholders could have embarked on several awareness campaign that enlightened the general public on the negative effects of child labour in the society at large. However, 84 percent is still on the high side hence more eff­orts need to made to further reduce this figure drastically. Subsequently, the poll revealed that the larger proportion of respondents (80 percent) disclosed that they have observed children engage in one form of labour in their respective localities. Analysis by region revealed that averagely, more respondents from the Northern region (84 percent) than the Southern region (74 percent) made this assertion. Trend analysis also revealed an 8 percent increase in the number of children seen engaged in various forms of labour when the 2019 result is compared to the findings obtained in 2016. Respondents who indicated that they see children engaged in di­fferent labour or jobs were further probed and asked to mention some of these labour or jobs they have seen children engaged in. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents (58 percent) specifically mentioned that they have seen children engage in street hawking in their various localities and the South-South zone accounted for the larger share of Nigerians in this category. This is followed by Nigerians who cited domestic work (11 percent) and street begging (10 percent) amongst other mentions. Perceptions on street hawking showed that it is most predominant in the southern region (79 percent on the average) than in the Northern region (43 percent on the average). However, opinions revealed that street begging and domestic work are highest in the Northern region than in the Southern region. Trend analysis showed that the proportion of Nigerians who mentioned street hawking increased from 47 percent in 2016 to 58 percent in 2019 whereas, there is a decline in the number of those who cited domestic work (from 16 percent in 2016 to 11 percent in 2019). Furthermore, poverty (58 percent), parental neglect (16 percent) and bad economy (10 percent) were the top three factors mostly blamed for the incidence of child labour in Nigeria. While poverty seems to be the major factor Nigerians attribute to the prevalence of child labour, Trend analysis revealed that this perception has declined in 2019 when compared to 2013. Perceptions on how to curb the incidence of child labour in the country were gauged and a larger share of the respondents (27 percent) believe it is by creating more jobs. This will go a long in reducing poverty across the country, thereby reducing the need for children to compliment family income. 21 percent suggested that the government should improve on the economy while 18 percent recommended free education. In conclusion, the poll has shown that the menace of child labour is indeed an issue that needs to be taken more seriously in order to reduce the e­ffect on both the children and the society at large. The various government agencies and stakeholders need to be fully involved in dealing with the issues associated of child labour. The Child Right Act which was passed into law in 2003 in order to curb the menace of child labour has not been implemented by about 11 states in Northern Nigeria.[1] The diff­erent states that have not adopted the Act should be compelled upon to ensure that the Child Right Act is given utmost concern in order to curb the dangers associated with child labour. Government should also create an enabling environment for small scale businesses to thrive in Nigeria in order to improve the economy and increase the employment opportunities. Furthermore, the role of education in reducing the issue of child labour cannot be over emphasized as education remains the basis of growth and development. Additionally, 5 percent of the respondents recommended birth control as a measure to curb child labour. Hence, parents should employ e­ffective family planning methods to have limited number of children they can e­ffectively take care of. Government on its part could put mechanisms in place to ensure public enlightenment and implementation of family planning while, health workers could also be saddled with the strategies for implementation. Finally, the poll has clearly shown that the incidence of child labour is grossly under reported as 82 percent of the respondent are not aware of the reporting channels. Therefore, it is important for government agencies and concerned stakeholders to embark on an intense awareness campaign on the various ways to report the incidence of child labour. Survey Method The poll was conducted in the week commencing June 3rd, 2019. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 4.65%. NOIPolls Limited, is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com or download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/329511-12-states-in-northern-nigeria-yet-to-pass-child-rights-law-unicef-official.html [1] https://www.borgenmagazine.com/20-million-nigerian-children-victims-child-labour/ [2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/child_labour [3]https://www.borgenmagazine.com/20-million-nigerian-children-victims-child-labour/

Abuja, Nigeria. 28th, May, 2019 – NOIPolls joins the world in commemoration World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) which is observed annually on the 31st of May. The annual campaign seeks to inform and sensitize people on the deadly and destructive effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure as well as to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. The theme for the 2019 World No Tobacco Day is “Tobacco and lung health”.[1] The aim of this year’s theme is to increase awareness amongst other things; on the effect of tobacco consumption on people’s health which range from cancer to chronic respiratory disease, the pivotal role lungs play in the overall health and well-being of people and the inter-relationship between tobacco smoking and tuberculosis death.1 For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced as it kills more than 7 million people annually. Sadly, more than 6 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 890 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.[2] Nigeria is not exempted from this public health threat as it is estimated that more than 16,100 Nigerians die annually from tobacco-related diseases, while over 25,000 children (10 – 14 years) and more than 7.4 million adults continue to use tobacco each day.[3] In commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), NOIPolls presents findings from its past poll on tobacco consumption. The poll which was conducted in October 2016 highlighted perception of Nigerians concerning the prevalence of tobacco consumption, its harmful effects as well as the level of support for the implementation of Government’s policies on tobacco consumption. The poll results revealed that there is high prevalence (94 percent) of tobacco consumption in Nigeria however, 22 percent disclosed that they consume tobacco. The poll results further showed that tobacco consumption is highly prevalent among the youth aged 18-25 years (56 percent). Interestingly, those aged between 18-35 years (58 percent) accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who made this assertion. Also, perception on the effects of smoking tobacco products revealed that most Nigerians (91 percent) acknowledged that it is very harmful and affirmation this cut across gender, geo-political zones and age-groups. Lastly, poll results showed that majority of the respondents were in support of laws aimed at reducing the consumption of tobacco in the country. Remarkably, 79 percent advocated that the health warning labels on the packs of cigarettes should be strengthened, 87 percent indicated that smoking in public places should be banned, 76 percent want tougher restrictions on the sale of tobacco products, while banning of all forms of advertisement for tobacco products was supported by 71 percent of the respondents. The chart below revealed that most Nigerians (71 percent) admitted that there is a high prevalence of tobacco smoking in the country. Also, 23 percent of the respondents stated that it is somewhat prevalent whereas 6 percent reported that tobacco smoking is not prevalent at all. Consequently, perception on smoking habits revealed that a larger proportion of the respondents (69 percent) claimed that they have never smoked tobacco. While 14 percent of the respondents indicated that they smoke tobacco regularly, 8 percent reported that they sometimes smoke tobacco but not regularly. An evaluation of tobacco smoking amongst various age-groups revealed that tobacco consumption is highly prevalent among the youth aged 18-25 years (56 percent) and most of the respondents in this category are those aged between 18-35 years (58 percent). The prevalence of tobacco smoking among youths may be influenced by peer pressure, boosting their ego, getting tipsy, earning perceived recognition or respect, overcoming shyness and depression among other reasons. The opinion of Nigerians about the effects of smoking cigarettes was revealed that most Nigerians (91 percent) considered it to be very harmful. This assertion could suggest that Nigerians are aware of the implications of tobacco consumption. Lastly, poll results indicated that most of the respondents were in support of laws aimed at reducing the consumption of tobacco in the country. 79 percent advocated that the health warning labels on the packs of cigarettes should be strengthened, 87 percent indicated that smoking in public places should be banned, 76 percent want tougher restrictions on the sale of tobacco products, while banning of all forms of advertisement for tobacco products was supported by 71 percent of the respondents. In conclusion, the poll results revealed that there is high prevalence of tobacco consumption mostly among youths aged between 18-25 years. Interestingly, 91 percent of the respondent admited that tobacco consumption is very hamful to a person therefore, there is need for concerted effort in the area of sensitization to educate especially the youths on the dangers and devastating effects of tobacco smoking on human health. Finally, there is need for the effective implementation of the Tobacco Control Act which has already being passed by the 7th Assembly and signed into law in 2015. The implementation and enforcement of the law will no doubt, bring about the much desired control of tobacco smoking and thereby curb the attendant effects of diseases related deaths caused by tobacco consumption. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2019/05/31/default-calendar/world-no-tobacco-day [2] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco [3] https://tobaccoatlas.org/country/nigeria/

New Poll Reveals Nigerians’ Perspective On Curbing Illegal Activities By The Nigeria Police Force Abuja, Nigeria. May 22ND, 2019 – A public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing May, 6th, 2019 has revealed a high prevalence of illegal police activities as indicated by majority (78 percent) of Nigerians interviewed. This perception may have been influenced by daily interface between the police and the general public across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. 57 percent of the respondents disclosed that they are aware of some police illegal activities in their locality and residents from the South-South zone (68 percent) accounted for the larger proportion of Nigerians in this category. Interestingly, 83 percent of those who are aware of some police illegal activities mentioned that collection of bribes is one of the most common illegal activity of the Nigerian police personnel. Other police illegal activities cited in the poll include arresting innocent Nigerians (42 percent), intimidating innocent Nigerians (41 percent) and killing of unarmed Nigerians (12 percent) amongst other mentions. This finding is in line with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report which revealed that among public officials, police officers are the ones to whom bribes are most commonly paid in Nigeria.[1] Opinions on how to curb some of these illegal activities by some Nigerian police personnel were suggested and 31 percent recommended that the government should improve police welfare while, 19 percent advocated for proper recruitment and training processes in the Nigeria Police Force. Also, 18 percent advised that the Nigeria Police Force should be reformed and this is in line with Police Reform Bill passed by the Nigerian Senate in April 2019 which is currently awaiting presidential assent. One of the remarkable aspects of the bill is that it provides internal disciplinary mechanism for any police officer that maltreats or kills an innocent citizen and which corresponds with the position of some Nigerians (18 percent) who recommended prosecution or dismissal of any police personnel found guilty of any misconduct. Considering the daily interaction of the Nigerian police personnel with the general public, it is important that the Nigeria Police Force use the same opportunity in working towards changing these negative perceptions of the public. Poll Background The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is the principal law enforcement agency in Nigeria. Over the years, the Nigerian police has been saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and properties, maintaining law and order and preventing, detecting and investigating criminal activities. Regrettably, public trust and respect for the Nigeria Police Force is at an all-time low having been eroded by corruption, abuse of power and in some instances, a lack of capacity to actually prevent or solve crimes. The NPF rank and file is regularly found guilty of crimes ranging from extortion to rape, murder and now kidnapping.[2] Nigerians are increasingly losing hope and confidence in the Nigeria Police Force owing to the recent incidents of misconduct and killings by the operatives of the Force. These include battering, shooting of innocent Nigerians, bribery, arrest of innocent Nigerians and unethical behaviors amongst others. For instance, the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force stated that Lagos, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory police commands recorded the highest cases of police misconduct.[3] The unit also acknowledged that it received 137 complaints against policemen in Lagos, 89 in Rivers and 82 in Abuja.3 There is need for urgent and far-reaching measures to curb the increasing loss of confidence in the Nigeria Police Force. The recent passage of the Police Reform Bill by the Senate is commendable as the importance of this reform cannot be over emphasized. It is against this background that NOIPolls conducted a poll to gauge the opinion of Nigerians regarding illegal activities by police and suggestions on ways to curb the menace. Poll Findings The first question sought the opinions of Nigerians on the prevalence of police misconduct and the poll result showed that 78 percent of Nigerians disclosed that the issues of Nigerian police personnel carrying out illegal activities is prevalent. Analysis by geo-political zones showed that the South-South and South-West zones have the largest proportion of Nigerians (89 percent each) who attested to the high rate of illegal activities by the police. The second question on awareness revealed that almost 6 in 10 Nigerians (57 percent) are aware of some illegal activities by Nigerian police personnel in their locality. This opinion is highest in the Southern region when compared to the Northern region. Also, there are more male (63 percent) than female (53 percent) respondents who are conscious of this misconduct. Respondents who said they are aware of illegal activities by Nigerian police personnel in their locality were further asked to mention at least three illegal activities of the police that they know of and an overwhelming majority of the respondents (83 percent) mentioned the issue of collecting bribe. This is followed by a far lower proportion (42%) who said arresting innocent Nigerians, while 41 percent cited intimidation of innocent Nigerians. Other mentions include killing unarmed Nigerians (12), creating illegal checkpoints (7percent), demanding sex for bail (6 percent), arresting commercial sex workers (2 percent) and hiring out guns to criminals (2 percent). Suggestions on how to curb illegal activities of some Nigerian police personnel were mentioned and most Nigerians advocated for the government to improve police welfare (31 percent), while 19 percent advised that stakeholders should ensure proper recruitment and training processes of police personnel. Some mentioned that the Nigerian Police Force should be reformed, others cited prosecution and dismissal of any guilty police personnel (18 percent each). This is in line with the nine police personnel who were dismissed and six others who were demoted as stated by the Nigeria Police Force through its spokesperson, Mr. Ani Ikechukwu on the 9th of April 2019, in Abuja.[4] In conclusion, findings from the poll is worrisome as it revealed that collection of bribes (83 percent), Arresting innocent Nigerians (42 percent), and intimidating innocent Nigerians (41 percent) are the top three misconducts amongst others as reported by Nigerians who were interviewed. It is important that the Nigeria Police Force aggressively tackle these issues as it will go a long way in restoring the trust and confidence of Nigerians in the Nigeria Police Force. The government should in collaboration with other stakeholder’s workout modalities to improve the welfare of police personnel as recommended by 31 percent of those interviewed. Finally, while the Nigeria Police Force ensure that proper recruitment and training processes are in line with world standards, the Police Service Commission should also ensure that internal discipline in the system is not at all compromised and actively enforced. Survey Method The poll was conducted in the week commencing May 6th, 2019. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 4.65%. NOIPolls Limited, is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com or download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria-police-judges-highest-bribe-takers-says-un-agency/ [2] https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nigeria-police-force-policing-with-force.html [3]https://punchng.com/lagos-rivers-top-cases-of-police-misconduct/ [4] https://www.legit.ng/1232412-breaking-police-dismiss-9-officers-gross-misconduct.html

Abuja, Nigeria. May 7th, 2019 – The lower chamber of the National Assembly commenced a process to prohibit the issuance of estimated bills to consumers by electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). The passage of the Bill, which scaled third reading on the floor of the Green Chamber, would ensure that electricity consumers must be provided with a prepaid meter, hence ending the estimated billing system and the system of paying for power not consumed. In line with the above, NOIPolls presents excerpts from the results and findings of its National Survey on pre-paid meter ownership in Nigeria which was conducted in 2017. The survey revealed that ownership of fixed pre-paid metering is limited to only 9 percent of the population as the time this survey was conducted. According to the 2018 fourth quarter power report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); the report disclosed that the total number of electricity consumers with prepaid meters supplied by the 11 distribution companies (DisCos) in the country are 1,669,675.[1] More findings from the 2017 National Survey indicated that the rest of the population is divided among 41 percent who use post-paid meters and 50 percent who do not have a meter, but simply pay fixed amounts of money for electricity. Being the most efficient way to distribute electricity, usage of pre-paid meters is highest in the South-East zone (13 percent) and lowest in the North-Central and North-West (7 percent apiece). Electric power usage in most cases is charged to non-urban users based on estimates that do not account for periods of power failure that are often prolonged. As expected, urban residents are twice as likely as rural residents to have pre-paid meters. The bill seeks to amend the principal Act by creating new sections 68 to 72, which states that (Section 68 – (1)) estimated billing methodology is hereby prohibited in Nigeria. In subsection (2), it provides that “Every electricity consumer in Nigeria shall apply to the Electricity Distribution Company carrying out business within his jurisdiction for a pre-paid meter and such consumer shall pay the regulated fee for pre-paid meter to be installed in his premises and the Electricity Distribution Company shall within 30 days of receiving the application and payment install the pre-paid meter applied for in the premises of the consumer.”[2] The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as at March 1st 2017, informed electricity consumers (Maximum Demand (MD) customers only not residential) without prepared meters to stop paying electric bills presented by Distribution Companies (DisCos) on the basis of estimated billing methodology.[3] It is equally necessary for NERC to set a deadline for DISCOs to provide prepaid meter billing system for residential customers, especially the 50 percent of Nigerians who do not have a meter as shown in chart below, but simply pay incommensurate amounts of money for electricity. In conclusion, the survey has shown that access to prepaid electricity metering in Nigeria is too low, therefore further reforms of the electricity sector are imminent. It is essential to further improve accountability in the sector by subsidization of prepaid meters to enable low-income households acquire and use them as 50 percent of the population pay for electricity supply by estimated billing system which does not account for periods of power failure that are often prolonged. In a bid to eliminate the estimated billing practices in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), it imperative for the management of all electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and other stakeholders to attract private investment into the metering service industry. This will help close the metering gap through accelerated meter roll out and enhance revenue assurance for the NESI. The 2018 Meter Asset Provider Regulations issued by NERC will relieve the DisCos of the burden of providing metering services and enable them to give more focus on their core responsibility of power distribution. Also, Nigerian-owned meter manufacturing companies and meter assembling plants can expect to a have greater participation in the metering industry as MAPs are required to obtain at least 30 percent of their meters from local sources. Finally, this will lead to additional foreign direct investment into the country, while also ensuring transfer of technology to Nigeria. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.thecable.ng/discos-supply-79850-meters-in-2018-not-enough-for-4-6m-households-in-need-of-one [2] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/04/06/bill-to-criminalise-estimated-billing-system-by-discos-introduced-in-house/ [3] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/dont-pay-electricity-bills-youre-not-metered-fg/

Abuja, Nigeria. May 1st, 2019 – International Workers’ Day (also known as Labour Day or May Day) is observed on 1st May every year. It is celebrated across the world to promote and encourage the international labour associations, while honouring the struggles of the working class and efforts of labour unions. The theme for this year’s Workers’ Day is “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement”. In commemoration of this year’s Workers’ Day, NOIPolls presents a 4-year average (2016-2019) on public opinion polls on issues facing Nigerians. Findings revealed that employment remains among the top three areas Nigerians expected the government to focus its attention on over the period in view: Security (29 percent), Employment (28 percent) and the economy (21 percent). Although the issue of unemployment is second on the list, this area has been one of the greatest challenges crippling the Nigerian economy as it has maintained an upward trend within the years in view. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the unemployment rate in the country increased from 22.70 percent in the 2nd quarter of 2018 to 23.10 percent in the 3rdquarter of 2018. In view of the Workers’ Day celebration, the onus is on the government and other stakeholders to create jobs for Nigerians especially through creating an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive. This will go a long way in ensuring that Nigerians explore various opportunities in tackling the issue of unemployment. Also, it is vital to reflect on workers’ welfare specifically on the issue of minimum wage as it plays an important role in income distribution as well as poverty rate. Although the minimum wage in Nigeria has recently been increased from ₦18,000 to ₦30,000, this amount may be negligible in raising the standard of living of the beneficiaries considering the economic situation of the country. For instance, a public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls on workers’ welfare in 2011 revealed that Nigerians believed that the minimum wage of ₦18,000 was inadequate, hence they clamoured for an upward review to ₦56,000 as at 2011. Again, while the Federal Government has signed the new minimum wage of ₦30,000 into law, it is important for an urgent implementation process. In summary, as Nigerians join the world in celebrating Workers’ day, it is pertinent for government to address issues pertaining to job creation and the welfare of Nigerian workers. Job creation challenge in Nigeria can be effectively tackled through a strict adherence to and execution of the different strategies and policy framework that have been put in place to move the employment drive in the country forward. Some of these strategies and policy documents include the National Employment Policy (NEP) of 2002, the national action Plan on Employment Creation (NAPEC), National Youth Policy (NYP) of 2009 as well as the National Policy on Education (NPE) Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com

Abuja, Nigeria. April 25th, 2019 – The World Malaria Day is commemorated on April 25th each year. This annual event is a worldwide effort which is aimed at raising awareness for malaria and funds for the treatment and prevention of malaria. The day also highlights the need for better political intervention in malaria control and prevention as well as marking the continuation of great achievements in the fight against malaria worldwide. The theme for the 2019 World Malaria Day is “End Malaria for Good” and the day is hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the most recent World Malaria Report 2018, the global tally of malaria reached 435,000 malaria deaths and an estimated 219 million new cases in 2017.[1] Therefore, WHO is calling on malaria-affected countries, partners and donors to boost investments and efforts to reduce the disease burden through coordinated efforts. This will help to strengthen national capacities and ownership as well as funding for scaling up preventive interventions to ensure universal coverage of all at-risk populations.[2] Maintaining a healthy populace is crucial to contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP). Unfortunately, Nigeria bears the burden of debilitating diseases like malaria, polio, HIV/AIDS, typhoid, etc. For example, Nigeria suffers the world’s greatest malaria burden with approximately 51 million cases and over 200,000 deaths reported annually. With about a third of the population getting ill from malaria only in the span of 12 months, the negative impact this has on productivity and development cannot be taken for granted. In commemoration of the World Malaria Day, NOIPolls presents excerpts from its National Survey which was conducted in 2017. The National Survey assessed the opinions of Nigerians on their health status and most prevalent health challenge facing Nigerians. The survey revealed Malaria as the most prevalent health challenge facing Nigerians by a significant proportion of 81 percent. The findings also showed that as many as 69 percent of the population had been diagnosed with malaria at least once (or more) in the past 12 months; with 63 percent accessing malaria tablets, 30 percent taking injections, and 6 percent making use of native medicine to treat the ailment. The chart below showed that Malaria accounts for 81 percent of all visits to healthcare providers. Remotely next to malaria are cough (4percent), cholera (3percent) and diarrhoea (2percent) respectively. The preponderance of malaria as illustrated in the figure above warrants further probing. Malaria is the leading cause of death in Nigeria with over 300,000 deaths per year which is more than other deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Over the past 12 months, only 31 percent of respondents reported being free from malaria diagnosis; 48 percent reported one or two episodes, while 16 percent reported three or more episodes. Compared to male respondents, female respondents reported higher rates of malaria diagnosis during the period based on lower percentages reporting no episode (female – 28 percent; male – 34 percent) and higher percentage reporting one or two episodes (female – 52 percent; male – 45 percent). Malaria diagnosis also decreases by age, with malaria-free proportion rising from 29 percent (age 18-35) to 32 percent (age 36-60) and 34 percent (above 60), and the proportion that experienced one or two episodes decreased from 49 percent (age 18-35), 48 percent (age 36-60) to 40 percent (above 60 years). However, the percentage experiencing three or more episodes decreased from 16 percent (age 18-35) to 14 percent (age 36-60) but increased significantly to 21 percent (above 60 years). Across geopolitical zones, malaria diagnosis rates are lower in the North as the percentage diagnosis-free is higher in the North (31 percent) compared to the South (28 percent). However, the percentage with one or two diagnoses is slightly higher in the North (50 percent versus 49 percent) and the percentage with three or more diagnosis is also slightly higher (16 percent versus 15 percent). The reporting of malaria diagnosis is also slightly higher in rural areas (66 percent) compared to urban areas (63 percent). On average, 93 percent of malaria episodes are treated with modern medicine (63 percent with tablets and 30 percent with injections). Of the remainder, 6 percent are treated with native treatment while the remaining 1 percent cases are untreated. There is no significant difference by gender in the propensity to use modern medicine (male – 92 percent; female – 93 percent), neither are there significant differences by age (age 18-35 – 93 percent; age 36-60 – 92 percent; above 60 – 92 percent). There are slight variations across geopolitical zones in the use of modern medicine for treating malaria. While tablets are more likely used to treat malaria in the South (South – 72 percent; North – 58 percent), injections are preferred in the North (South –20 percent; North – 35 percent). The substitutionary relationship is also observed in urban and rural areas; while tablets are more likely used to treat malaria in urban areas (urban – 66 percent; Rural – 57 percent), injections are preferred in the rural areas (Urban –28 percent; Rural – 33 percent). In conclusion, the survey revealed an urgent need for interventions in the Nigerian health system to reduce the incidence of malaria as the burden of malaria remains quite high in the population. This raises concerns regarding the effectiveness of malaria interventions and suggests need for more to be done in its prevention; as it is being advocated by the WHO considering the commemoration of World Malaria Day coming up on the 25th of April, 2019. 81 percent of respondents reported malaria as the most important health challenge they face while 31 percent had no cases of malaria. This is a classic example of self-diagnosis without seeking laboratory confirmation. This is worrisome because most haemorrhagic illnesses such as Lassa Fever and Ebola mimic symptoms of malaria. Therefore, communities may be at risk of infectious diseases when individuals think they have malaria without laboratory diagnosis. Clients at hospitals are advised to always request for laboratory tests to confirm malaria even when health workers want to treat without testing. The Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) helps in this regard. Finally, even though concerted efforts have been made towards the control of malaria, its elimination has continued to be a mirage. However, the future still holds considerable promise with new dimensions being explored which include increased research funding especially towards vaccine development, policy formulation and implementation based on evidence, increased public health and environmental education, incorporation of the communities in activities towards malaria control as well as stepping up of ongoing control programmes and possibly integrating them into primary health care activities. Malaria control in Nigeria and indeed other endemic countries will cease to be a mirage and become a reality with a little more strategic and prioritized effort. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.who.int/malaria/publications/world-malaria-report-2018/en/ [2] https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/events/world-malaria-day

Abuja, Nigeria. March 19th, 2019-The United Nations (UN) World Happiness Day is a day observed and recognized annually on the 20th of March. The United Nations celebrates the International Day of Happiness as a way of recognising the essence and importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world; which seem to elude a large number of persons living in world today due to the seeming hardship experienced by people.  In a bid to promote overall Happiness of people around the world and to ensure the general well-being of individuals, the United Nations came up with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals which seek to end poverty, reduce inequality and protect our planet which are major factors that lead to well-being and happiness. The theme for 2019 world happiness day is: “[1]Happier together, focusing on what we have in common, rather than what divides us”. This seek to accentuate the fact that everyone wants to be happy and people are happier when persons are together and it also seek to emphasise on what brings people together as humans rather than on what divide us. In commemoration of the world happiness day 2019, NOIPolls reflects on findings from its Personal Wellbeing Index – PWBI Q4 2018, which highlighted the level of satisfaction of Nigerians on various aspects of their lives. Overall there was a marginal decline in the PWBI of Nigerians to stand at 61.5-points from 62.89-points in Q3 of 2018. Nevertheless, it is worthy of note that amidst the low satisfaction of Nigerians on their economic situation and standard of living, some of the key factors which are pivotal in determining the level of happiness continue to remain above average as revealed by the poll. These key components include Religion (88.37-points), Social Interaction (75.9-points), Physical Health (73.5-points) and Personal security (57.9-points). Thus, Nigerians have continued to be happy people despite the seeming economic, security and other social challenges they experience on a day to day basis. Furthermore, social interaction which provides an overall feeling of connectivity to society is one of the indices that Nigerians keep averaging high points in the PWBI findings. This contributes to the happiness of Nigerians alongside their personal health; without which isolation, decreased self-esteem and shorter lifespan may be prevalent. The findings on PWBI can be further corroborated by the World happiness index which ranks Nigeria 91 in 2018 moving four steps up from the previous ranking of 95 in 2017, in their global happiness ranking. [2] The global body uses factors like GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption in order to rank countries. Finally, happiness is critical for optimum performance of individual in every walk of life. Thus, to further improve the wellbeing of Nigerians which then translates to happiness, it is pertinent for the government to focus its efforts in providing basic amenities like road, power, hospitals etc which is evidently lacking in the Nigerian societies. This can then translate into overall economic and political gains for the country as well as an improved PWBI of Nigerians. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com

Abuja, Nigeria. March 12th, 2019 – International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed each year on 8th March and it is a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements ranging from the politics to social, while calling for gender equality in the world. NOIPolls joined the rest of world in celebrating the 2019 International Women’s Day which to recognize women who have succeeded in various leadership positions and have made extraordinary achievements in the nation’s building as well as impacting lives internationally. The theme for the 2019 IWD was “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”. The theme focused on innovative ways in which gender equality can be advanced and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure.[1] In commemoration of the International Women’s Day, NOIPolls reflects on some critical findings from its past poll on gender equality which gauged general perception of Nigerians about gender inequality especially in political representation. The poll which was conducted in March 2018 revealed that 91 percent of adult Nigerians admitted that there is a huge gap in gender equality especially in political representation in Nigeria, mainly due to cultural norms and religious beliefs (29 percent). It is very curial to re-emphasis that certain historic values shaped by societies, passed on from generations have over the years spelt out specific expectations from women in terms of attributes and behaviours such as the creation of gender specific roles. This has led to the labelling of some jobs and/or roles as ‘women’s work’ and ‘men’s work’ both in the household and in the wider community such as in workplaces, as well as in leadership, governance and politics. Further findings from the poll revealed that most Nigerians (85 percent) acknowledged that women make great leaders and this affirmation cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-groups. The chart below showed that the North-east (97 percent) and the North-west (95 percent) zones accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who believe there is gender inequality in the country. On the contrary, South-east (25 percent) accounted for the zone with the highest proportion of Nigerians who claim that there is equality in Nigeria. More findings from the poll revealed that majority of adult Nigerians (29 percent) who claimed that there is gender inequality affirmed that cultural norms and religious beliefs are the main causes of gender inequality. Also, 17 percent of the respondents stated that gender inequality is obvious in Nigeria because women are perceived to be weak and lacks the capacity to lead amongst other reasons. On the other hand, respondents who were of the opinion that there is gender equality gave reasons for their assertion and most of these respondents (37 percent) stated that there is gender equality because there are lots of women in politics in Nigeria. While 25 percent mentioned that women have equal constitutional right to contest political positions, 16 percent stated that representation is by merit and not by gender. In conclusion, the poll results revealed that there is a significant gap in gender equality in Nigeria as stated by 91 percent of the respondents across gender, age-groups and geo-political zones majorly due to cultural norms and religious beliefs (29 percent). Considering the assertions made by Nigerians, it therefore calls for an urgent action to be taken in order to attain more women representation in the political sphere in Nigeria. For instance, the National Assembly should consider passing the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill (GEOB) as this will greatly balance the gender gap currently existing in the Nigerian political sphere. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com

Abuja, Nigeria. March 5th, 2019 – Following the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, NOIPolls presents findings from its New Year poll which highlighted 3 key areas Nigerians expect the government to focus its attention on in the next 12 months. The poll report revealed that most Nigerians want the government to mainly focus its attention on Education (49 percent), Security (44 percent), Electricity supply (36 percent) and Economy (32 percent) amongst other sector/areas in 2019. It is not surprising that education topped the list this year given the series of challenges facing the sector. For instance, poor funding is one of the major reasons for the deterioration and challenges in the education sector, especially tertiary education, which has led to frequent strikes by academic and non-academic staff since the early 1990s. The Federal Government’s allocation to education in the last 10 years has been inadequate as only a total of N3.90 trillion or an average of 7.07 percent has so far been allocated to the sector out of a total budget of N55.19 trillion.[1] Also, a Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the Nigerian government revealed that the number of out-of-school children rose from 10.5 million in 2010 to 13.2 million in 2015 in Nigeria.[2] On security, 44 percent of Nigerians reported that they expect the government to improve on the issue of security in Nigeria as they believe it has not fared well in 2018. The nation witnessed a drastic breakdown of internal security challenges in 2018 ranging from terror strikes in the North-East to herdsmen and farmers conflicts in the North-Central to militants operating in the South-South. For instance, the tension between herdsmen and farming communities saw a dramatic escalation in the first quarter of 2018 especially the attacks that occurred in some local government areas in Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa and Taraba states which involved the loss of lives and properties leaving many people displaced from their homes.[3] Opinion on power revealed that 36 percent of the respondents expect the government to significantly focus its attention on the sector, considering that this sector has faced huge challenges over the years. According to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the country’s power generation was at its peak of 7,000 megawatts (MW) in August 2018.[4] Despite reaching a peak of 7,000 megawatts (MW), it was still inadequate considering the country’s population, therefore, the federal government and concerned stakeholders needs to place high priority on ensuring that challenges surrounding these sectors are drastically improved to improve the economy and foster national development. On the economy, 32 percent disclosed that they expect the government to focus its attention on all aspect of the country’s economy. This is not surprising considering that Nigerians economy did not fare well in 2018. For instance, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.81% (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2018. However, the average Nigerian is yet to feel the impact of this increase in the country’s GDP because it is marginal and negligible. According to the African Development data on Nigeria’s Economic Outlook in 2018, it reported that about 152 million Nigerians live on less than 2 dollars per day and this figure represents about 80 percent of the country’s estimated 190 million population. Also, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Article IV consultation report on Nigerian economy for 2018 revealed that the Nigerian economy is slowly exiting recession although remains vulnerable to external shocks such as huge fiscal deficit, low economy diversification, increasing domestic risks and rising banking sector risks.[5] The figure below showed that a higher proportion of Nigerians (49 percent) want the government to focus its attention towards improving the quality and standard of education in the country given the current state of the sector. Similarly, 44 percent expect the government to drastically improve the security situation in the country considering the challenges faced in these areas in 2018. This is followed by 36 percent who cited electricity supply. Other areas that Nigerians wants the government to focus its attention on in 2019 include ‘Economy’ (32 percent), ‘Agriculture’ (29 percent), ‘Job creation’ (26 percent), ‘Infrastructure’ (22 percent) and ‘Health care’ (18 percent) amongst others. Further analysis by geo-political zones revealed certain peculiarities across geo-political zones regarding the areas Nigerians expects the government to focus its attention on in 2019. For instance, while education (64 percent) and security seems to be a priority for residents from the North-West and North-East zones, electricity appears to be more pressing issues for Nigerians in the South-South zone. Similarly, residents in the South-West zone indicated that economy as the most pressing area where the government should focus its attention on in 2019. In conclusion, the poll has revealed that the quality and standard of education is Nigeria is unacceptable as most Nigerians task the government to improve the sector in 2019. Also, Nigerians lamented over the state of internal security in the country in 2018 hence 44 percent specifically mentioning that the government should tackle security challenges in 2019. Despite the current 7,000 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity being generated, 36 percent of Nigerians want the government to improve the sector so as to empower SMEs and other ventures to grow their businesses. It is therefore the responsibility of the government to listen to the demands of its citizens and work to improve in these areas to ensure a better quality of life for the average Nigerians. Finally, just as majority of Nigerians have spoken with one voice in terms of choosing who would govern them for the next four years, it is also very important for the government not only to listen to the demands of Nigerians but also implement them. For instance, more funds should be allocated to the education sector and the internal security policy and strategy should be reviewed to accommodate new dimensions of security challenges in the country. Also, the government should revamp the power stations to perform at optimal capacity and diversify power sources so as not to overburden current sources. There is also a need for the government and other stakeholders to create an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to thrive as well as ensure that industrial manufacturing companies in the country are operating at full capacity. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/04/education-free-fall/ [2] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/288344-nigeria-now-has-13-2-million-out-of-school-children-ubec.html [3] https://allafrica.com/stories/201807270076.html [4] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/power-generation-rises-to-7000-mega-watts-fashola/ [5] https://www.pulse.ng/finance-key-issues-debilitating-the-nigerian-economy-as-identified-by-imf/zq7cvsz

Abuja, Nigeria. January 29, 2018 – The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI) report for Q4, 2018 revealed a decline of 1.4-points in the PWBI to stand at 61.5-points from 62.9-points obtained in Q3, 2018. The positive perception of the various aspects of one’s life, altogether, is determined by the Personal Well-Being Index. All of the seven factors that constitute the PWBI experienced a marginal decline except 2; the health index and the Economic situation index which experienced marginal increases. Remarkably, the highest decline was seen in the Achievement in life Index with a 5.5-point decline to stand at 48.8-points from the 54.3-points obtained in Q3, 2018. Further analysis revealed the Personal Security and Religion Index tie as the joint second highest to decline when compared to results obtained in Q3, 2018. The Personal Security Index declined by 1.8-point to stand at 57.9-points in Q4, 2018 from 59.7-points obtained in Q3, 2018. The reason for the further drop in the Personal Security Index could be attributed to the series of security breaches across the length and breadth of the country which require urgent and stringent steps to contain them. The Religion Index experienced a decline of 1.8 to stand at 88.4-points in Q4, 2018 from 90.2-points obtained in Q3, 2018. These are the key highlights from the Q4, 2018 Personal Well-Being Index survey. In February 2014, NOIPolls Limited introduced its portfolio of indices; the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI), the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) and the NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index (EBCI). The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index measures factors impacting on the lives of everyday Nigerians; thereby producing a complete view of the individual’s personal well-being. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index provides consumer assessments of the economic situation and their intentions and expectations for the future. The NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index measures business leaders’ perceptions and expectations about the Nigerian business environment using the top 30 companies in the country. Nigerian businesses, financial and government agencies largely depend on the perceptions and micro assessment of consumers’ expectation in making decisions. At best, they draw conclusions on the business environment based on information from their immediate surroundings, while the minorities conduct surveys that are time and money consuming. However, the introduction of these indices provides indicators that will ensure stakeholders can detect and respond to changes in consumer behavior, the economy, and the business environment in Nigeria. This report presents the Q4, 2018 results for the NOIPolls Personal Well Being Index (PWBI). THE NOIPolls PERSONAL WELL-BEING INDEX (PWBI) Findings from the Q4, 2018 report revealed a marginal decline in the PWBI to stand at 61.5-points. It is worthy to note that the Religion Index, which measures people’s satisfaction with their personal religion, has always been a major influencing factor in the overall PWBI.  Furthermore, a breakdown of the seven key indicators that make up the PWBI showed that Nigerians were mostly satisfied in terms of Religion (88.37-points), Social Interaction (75.9-points), Physical Health (73.5-points) and Personal Security (57.9-points). All these indices remained above average while the Achievement in Life (48.8-points) and Standard of Living (48.9-points) indices remained below average, depicting a neutrality amongst Nigerians. Some Nigerians were not satisfied with their personal economic situation (38.3-points) index, which happens to be the lowest point among the indices. These seven (7) key indicators that comprise the PWBI are highlighted in the chart below; Personal Standard of Living Index – 48.9 The Personal Standard of Living Index decreased by 1.7-point in Q4, 2018 from the 50.6-points obtained in Q3, 2018 to stand at 48.9-points and is indicative of a slight negative trend in the satisfaction of Nigerians with their Personal Standard of Living in Q4, 2018. Personal Health index – 73.2 This index increased marginally with 0.4-points to stand at 73.5-points in Q4, 2018 in comparison to 73.2-points obtained in Q3, 2018. Personal Achievement Index – 48.8 This index recorded the highest decline of 5.5-point to stand at 48.8-points in Q4, 2018 when compared to 54.3 obtained in Q3 2018, indicating an increase in the level of dissatisfaction in the personal achievements of Nigerians. Personal Security Index – 57.9 The personal security index decreased by 1.8-points in Q4, 2018 to stand at 57.9-points from the 59.7 points obtained in Q3, 2018 representing the joint second highest decline in the indices. Personal Social Interaction Index – 75.9 This index experienced a decrease of 0.7-point to stand at 75.9-points in Q4, 2018 compared to 76.6-points obtained in Q3, 2018. Despite the decline, this result depicts that Nigerians still have a high level of social interactions amongst themselves. This is even most compelling in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society like Nigeria. Personal Religion Index – 88.4 The Personal Religion Index has always been the highest index amongst the indices, which is suggestive of how religious the citizens are. The Personal Religion Index decreased marginally by 1.8-points to stand at 88.4-points in Q4, 2018 which is the joint second highest decline in the indices from the 90.2-points obtained in Q3, 2018. Economic Index – 38.3 The Economic Index witnessed a marginal increase of 1.0-point to stand at 38.3-points in Q4, 2018 from 37.1-points of Q3, 2018. This index has consistently been the lowest ranked index over the years implying that much is still needed to reinvigorate the economy of the nation. TREND ANALYSIS A study of the trend analysis of the results obtained from the Q4, 2018 PWBI showed that 2 out of all the seven key indicators that constitute the PWBI increased while the remaining 5 indices experienced a decline. Furthermore, the quarter-on-quarter analysis showed that the NOIPolls PWBI experienced a decline of 1.4-point to stand at 61.5-points in Q4, 2018 compared to 62.9-points of Q4, 2018. Finally, results obtained from the NOIPolls PWBI for Q4, 2018 revealed that there was a marginal decrease of 1.4-points in the Personal Wellbeing of Nigerians but majority remain unsatisfied with their Economic Situation, as the index stood at 38.3-points and still remained the lowest ranked index amongst the seven factors that make up the NOIPolls PWBI. The Economic Index which decreased marginally has consistently been ranked below average by Nigerians while the Religion and Social Indices witnessed a decrease of 1.8-points and 0.7-point respectively. Wellbeing may best be thought of as a self-motivated process, evolving from the way in which people interrelate with the world around them. Previous studies suggest that there is a very high tendency for people to become successful in life, build a strong bond or cohesive relationships and contribute to a stronger community when they are happier, leading to a healthier society (economy). Also, decreased indices of the personal wellbeing (Personal Standard of Living, Personal Health, Personal Security, Personal Social Interaction, Personal Religion and Economic Situation) can have a range of benefits for the communities in which we live if we create the enabling environment for an average Nigerian to work and earn a living, thereby, strengthening our economy. Hence, there should be concerted efforts to bring wellbeing into policy-making in Nigeria. The Ministries, Departments and Agencies that form the Nigerian government should be required to provide reports on how their policies will improve wellbeing, as one of the key aims of government is to promote a good life: a life which has meaning and in which people feel happy. Survey Methods The Personal Well Being Index Poll was conducted in Quarter 4, 2018. The PWBI involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 4.65%. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com and you can download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com

Abuja, Nigeria. January 22, 2019 – The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) report released by NOIPolls for Q4, 2018 has revealed a 3.5-point increase in the CCI to stand at 64-points in Q4, 2018 from the 60.2-points obtained in Q3, 2018. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index measures how optimistic or pessimistic consumers are regarding their present and future economic prospects. The increase in the CCI suggests that the spending pattern of Nigerian households increased in Q4, 2018. Furthermore, the Present Situation Index (PSI) declined while the Expectation Index (EI) experienced an increase and these are the two variables that make up the CCI. The PSI declined by 3.4-points from the results obtained in Q3, 2018 to stand at 38.3 -points in Q4, 2018, contrarily, the EI increased by 7.0-points from the 84.2 points obtained in Q3, 2018 to stand at 91.2-points. These are the key highlights from the Q4, 2018 Portfolio of Indices Press Release. In February 2014, NOIPolls Limited introduced its portfolio of indices; the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI), the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) and the NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index (EBCI). The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index measures factors impacting on the lives of everyday Nigerians; thereby producing a complete view of the individual’s personal well-being. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index provides consumer assessments of the economic situation and their intentions and expectations for the future. The NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index measures business leaders’ perceptions and expectations about the Nigerian business environment using the top 30 companies in the country. Nigerian businesses, financial and government agencies largely depend on their perceptions and micro assessment of consumers’ expectation in making decisions. At best, they draw conclusion on the business environment based on information from their immediate surroundings while the minorities conduct surveys that are time and money consuming. However, the introduction of these indices provides indicators that will ensure stakeholders can detect and respond to changes in consumer behavior, the economy, and the business environment in Nigeria. This report presents the Q4, 2018 results for the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). THE NOIPOLLS CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX (CCI) The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) in Q4, 2018 experienced an increase of 3.5-points to stand at 64-points indicating that the spending pattern of citizens increased in this quarter perhaps due to the Christmas holidays. The last quarter of every year is full of- various activities, social events and travels due to the festivities, so it can be inferred that most Nigerians spend more on goods and services in this quarter. The figure below shows the two variables that make up the NOIPolls’ Consumer Confidence Index; the Present Situation Index (PSI) and the Expectation Index (EI). The Present Situation Index (PSI) which measures the current perception of consumers regarding their propensity to spend stood at 37.2-points in Q4, 2018. Also, the Expectation Index which is based on consumers’ perceptions of their future,  stood at 84.4-points in the same quarter. There are 7 variables that comprise the PSI and EI, and 5 of these variables experienced an increase except for the current economic situation index and current prices of goods and services index which experienced a decline. These are highlighted below; Current Economic Situation Index – 38.3 The Current Economic Situation Index decreased by 3.4-points to stand at 38.3-points in Q4, 2018 compared to the 41.7-points obtained in Q3, 2018. Expectation of the Country’s Economic Situation Index –91.7 This index experienced an increase of 7-points to stand at 91.2-points in Q4 2018, signifying an increase in consumers’ confidence on the improvement of the economic situation in the country. Current Employment Condition Index – 53 The Current Employment Situation index increased by 1.4-points to stand at 53 in Q4, 2018  as opposed to the 51.6 gotten in Q3, 2018. Expected Employment Condition Index – 97.6 The Expected Employment Condition Index increased by 4.7-points to stand at 97.6-points against the 92.9-points in Q3, 2018. Current Prices of Goods and Services Index – 21.3 The Current Prices of Goods and Services also experienced a decline of 10.7-points from the 31.9 points of Q3, 2018 to stand at 21.3-points in Q4, 2018. Expectation of Prices of Goods and Services Index – 76.9 The Expectation of Prices of Goods and Services Index experienced the second highest increase of 12.7-points to stand at 76.9-points in Q4, 2018 from the 64.2-points for Q3, 2018. Expected Total Family Income Index – 59.0 The Expected Total Family Income Index experienced the highest increase of 13 points to stand at 72.1-points in Q4 2018 which was 59-points in Q3, 2018 TREND ANALYSIS Trend analysis revealed that the CCI, PSI and the EI all decreased compared to results obtained in Q4, 2018. In conclusion, findings show that Consumer Confidence Index increased by 3.5-points in Q4, 2018 to stand at 64-points compared to the result obtained Q3, 2018. Although the CCI helps in measuring the degree of optimism consumers have about the economic situation, it is worthy to note that consumers may exaggerate certain aspects of the economy. Therefore, concerned stakeholders are always advised to monitor the Consumer Confidence Index with caution especially in unstable economies as economic activities can change unexpectedly. Survey Methods The Consumer Confidence Index Poll was conducted in Quarter 4, 2018. The CCI involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 4.65%. NOIPolls Limited is No.1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/nigeria

Abuja, Nigeria. January 15th 2019 – New aggregated power poll results released by NOIPolls for 2018 revealed that while the power sector experienced marginal improvement in 2018 (40 percent) compared with previous two years – 2017 (37 percent) and 2016 (36 percent) power supply still remains inadequate to Nigerian households. An assessment of power supply in 2018 revealed that Nigerian households witnessed the highest improvement in Q3, 2018 as stated by 43 percent of the respondents surveyed, none the less more than half of the respondents reported they saw no improvement. In addition, monthly analysis has shown that the highest improvement in power supply was recorded in the month of August 2018 with 46 percent confirming they experienced improvement. the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, stated that the country’s power generation was at its peak of 7,000 megawatts (MW) in August 2018.[1] Despite reaching a peak of 7,000 megawatts (MW), it is still grossly inadequate considering the country’s population and the role of electricity in the development of the nation’s economy. Similarly, the average cumulative hours of power supply to Nigerian households in Q3, 2018 was highest at an average of 9.8 hours. Year on year analysis showed that the average cumulative hours of power supply was slightly higher in 2017 than in 2018 despite an increase in generation. Also, the month of August 2018 recorded the highest average daily cumulative hours of power supply to Nigerian households with 10.3 hours. This figure is still a far cry when compared to the 24 hours (international standard) of daily power supply mostly obtained in other countries. For instance, according to the Spectator Index report on power supply, Nigeria was ranked the second worst country in the world.[2] Given the current state of power supply in Nigeria, it is pertinent that the Federal Government and stakeholders in the power sector invest in key infrastructures. For instance, gas pipelines, equipment used in the distribution, generation and transmission of electricity, and other facilities as well as bringing in more investors into the industry to provide the funds needed to move the sector forward. These are the key findings from the aggregated power sector poll conducted by NOIPolls over a period of one year (January to December 2018). Background Electricity generation and consumption is vital to the development of any nation as its use is directly linked with to healthy economic growth. Therefore, it is important for any nation aspiring to join the league of developed economies to implement strategies for providing adequate electricity supply to foster a thriving, stable and growing economy for her citizens. The power situation in Nigeria is a major cause for concern as the current status of electricity generated in Nigeria remains grossly inadequate as epileptic power supply across the nation has hindered the growth of the manufacturing sector and subsequently, stalled the development of the country. [3]With the aim of monitoring the progress made so far since the power sector reforms in Nigeria, NOIPolls introduced the Power Polls in 2013 to explore the perception of Nigerians towards these reforms. The polls were conducted monthly to explore the amount of power supply received daily, as well as the state of power supply to households. The result presented is a one-year (January – December) tracking of power supply to households from the consumers’ end in 2018. Survey Findings Quarterly Trend on Power Supply The poll result revealed that Q3, 2018 experienced the highest improvement in power supply as expressed by 43 percent of Nigerians surveyed. This comes as no surprise because the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, stated that the country’s power generation was at its peak at 7,000 megawatts (MW) in August 2018[4]. Given that August falls in Q3, this could have attributed to the greater improvement in power supply in Q3, 2018. This is closely followed by Q4, 2018 as mentioned by 42 percent of the respondents whereas, Q2, 2018, experienced the lowest (38 percent) power supply in 2018. Quarterly Average Daily Cumulative Power Supply to Nigerian Households Further findings over the period in view revealed that the average hours of cumulative power supply to Nigerian households nationwide was also highest in Q3, 2018 at an average of 9.8 hours daily. Monthly Trend on Power Supply Subsequently, analysis of poll results showed that the highest monthly improvement in power supply nationwide was recorded in January and August (46 percent each) 2018 whereas the lowest monthly improvement in power supply nationwide was recorded in February and April (34 percent each) 2018. Monthly Daily Cumulative Hours of Power Supply to Nigerian Households Similarly, analysis of poll results showed that the month of August 2018 recorded the highest daily cumulative hours of power supply to Nigerian households which stood at an average of 10.3 hours daily while April 2018 recorded the lowest in this regard with 8.7 hours daily. Yearly Trend on Power Supply Year on year analysis showed that Nigerians witnessed a relative improvement in power supply in 2018 (40 percent) than in 2016 and 2017. Also, the poll revealed that the average hours of cumulative power supply to Nigerian households was at its peak in 2017 at an average of 9.7 hours daily. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted over a period of one year (January to December 2018). It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 12,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 4.65%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/power-generation-rises-to-7000-mega-watts-fashola/ [2]www.legit.ng/1170127-poor-power-supply-nigeria-reason.html [3]http://iwin.org.ng/index.php/news/item/3742-https-venturesafrica-com-this-chart-tells-you-the-current-state-of-power-supply-in-nigeria [4] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/power-generation-rises-to-7000-mega-watts-fashola/