Abuja, Nigeria. May 27th, 2014 – Latest weekly poll results released by NOIPolls Limited and EpiAFRIC have revealed that 52% of the adult Nigerian population are unaware of cases of heart disease in their locality; hence the neglect of vital signs and risk factors resulting into incidents of heart disease by the majority. More findings have revealed that majority (67%) of the respondents stated that they have checked/measured their blood pressure in the last one year; and when asked about the result of the check, the vast majority (82%) reported that their blood pressure was normal. Only 6% stated that their blood pressure was high, 4% stated low and 8% either did not know/remember or refused to answer. The group composed of respondents of 61+ years and above (28%) had the highest proportion of respondents with high blood pressure, followed by the 46 to 60 years group with 10%. Furthermore, the BMI calculated using the height and weight scores of the 441 respondents who provided these details (44% of the total) revealed that almost half (48%) of the respondents are either overweight or obese (which are considered as risk factors for cardiovascular disease). These were the key findings from the Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease Poll conducted in the week of May 19th 2014. Brief Background Cardiovascular disease (also called heart disease) is a class of diseases that involve the heart and the blood vessels or both. It is the leading cause of deaths worldwide and 80% of the burden of Cardiovascular diseases now occur in developing countries[1], although, since the1970s, cardiovascular mortality rates have declined in many high-income countries[2]. At the same time, cardiovascular deaths and disease have increased at a fast rate in low- and middle-income countries. Although cardiovascular disease usually affects older adults, the antecedents of cardiovascular disease, notably atherosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels), begin in early life, making primary prevention efforts necessary from childhood. The most common manifestations of cardiovascular disease are coronary artery disease; leading to high blood pressure, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease – disease of blood vessels that supply blood to the brain such as stroke, peripheral arterial disease – disease of blood vessels that supply blood to the arms and legs etc. The common terms used terms for these are “Heart Attack”, “Stroke” and “Hypertension”. The World Heart Federation, on examining all current research, concludes that several risk factors for cardiovascular disease are modifiable, meaning they can be changed, treated, or removed. These include high blood pressure (hypertension), obesity, tobacco use, physical inactivity, high blood cholesterol levels etc. Individuals can reduce their risk of heart disease by controlling as many risk factors as possible through lifestyle changes[3]. There is therefore increased emphasis on prevention by decreasing one’s exposure to known risk factors by means of healthy eating, exercise, and avoidance of tobacco[4]. Against this background, NOIPolls and EpiAfric have partnered to conduct a poll on the issue of cardiovascular disease. Using a questionnaire that was jointly designed by EpiAfric and NOIPolls, we collected data from 1,000 Nigerians. The objective of the poll was to understand the risk of cardiovascular disease in Nigeria. This was done by measuring the exposure of Nigerians to known risk factors of cardiovascular disease. To read full report please click here. Key Findings The first question sought to measure the awareness of Nigerians on cardiovascular disease. Respondents were asked: Are you aware of heart (cardiovascular) disease in your locality? Responses revealed that almost half (48%) of the adult Nigerian population are familiar with heart disease. The level of awareness was equally high for both genders. The majority of respondents (52%) however were not aware of cardiovascular disease. The highest level of awareness on cardiovascular disease was expressed by respondents from the North-East zone (65%), senior citizens aged 61+ (63%) as well as teenagers and young adults who are 18-21 years of age (60%). The second question aimed to gauge the level of concern of Nigerians on heart disease. Respondents were asked: Are you worried that you may personally be at risk of having heart (cardiovascular) disease? The majority (77%) of Nigerians are not concerned about personally being at risk of having cardiovascular disease and this cuts across gender, all geopolitical zones and age-groups. Respondents from the North-West, South-South and South-West zones (81% each) were least concerned, while respondents from the North-East (36%) zone (with the highest level of awareness on heart disease) showed more concern of being at risk of having heart disease. Similarly respondents aged 18-21 years (10%) with a relatively high level of awareness on the subject were least worried of personally being at risk of having the disease. High blood pressure (hypertension) has been identified by the World Health Organisation as one of the major risk factors of cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. With the aim of assessing the proportion of Nigerians who have checked or measured their blood pressure in the past 1 year, respondents were asked: Have you checked/measured your blood pressure in the last 1 year? Two-thirds (67%) of the respondents claimed they have checked/measured their blood pressure in the last 1 year with the highest recorded in the South-South zone (78%). This could either be deliberate or as part of the procedures during a visit to a health facility[1]. The proportion of Nigerians who had their blood pressure measured in the last one year increased with age. The 18-21 years age-group (54%) had the smallest and the 61+ years age-group had the largest proportion (81%). [1] Bulletin of the World Health Organization Volume 91, Number 4, April 2013, 237-312 Subsequently, respondents who claimed they have checked/measured their blood pressure in the past 1 year (67% of the total) were asked: What was the value of your blood pressure the last time you measured? The vast majority (82%) of them, irrespective of gender, age or geopolitical zones, confirmed their blood pressure was at normal level. 6% reported their blood pressure as high at the time it was measured and 4% claimed it was low. In addition, while 7%refused to disclose their blood pressure level, 1% of the respondents did not remember the value. Furthermore, amongst 6% of respondents who had a high blood pressure measurement last year, slightly more male than female respondents reported their blood pressure as high (8% compared to 5%). Respondents aged 61+ (28%) have the highest record of blood pressure, followed by respondents between the age group of 46-60 years and 30-45 years, which shows the proportion of respondents with high blood pressure increases with age. High blood pressure on one occasion may be a sign for hypertension, which is considered to be one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, follow-up measurements are necessary to make a more founded diagnosis. The estimate of 6% with self-reported high blood pressure is probably an underestimate as most other studies, in which blood pressure has actually been measured have shown a prevalence of 30 – 40% among Nigerians. [1],[2] [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24042732 [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24002906 In order to further explore the exposure of Nigerians to risk factors of cardiovascular disease, the BMI of respondents were determined through information on the height and weight values of respondents; 44% of the respondents provided information on their height and weights. The BMI is calculated by dividing the weight in kilogram by the square of height in meters (kg/m2). A BMI below 18.5 is interpreted as underweight, 18.5 – 24.9 as normal weight, 25.0-29.9 as overweight and 30.0+ as obese. Almost half of respondents (48%) were classified as either overweight (25%) or obese (23%). 37% of the respondents were found to have normal weight while 15% were found to be underweight. The North-East zone (67%) has the highest proportion of respondents with a normal weight, the South-West (56%: 28%+28) and South-East (55%: 35%+20%) zones accounted for the highest total proportion of respondents who are either overweight or obese, while the North-West zone(29%) accounted for the highest proportion of respondents who are underweight. Analysis based on age revealed that the majority of respondents aged 18-21 years (56%) are underweight, while the majority of respondents aged 46-60 years (58%: 28%+30%) and 61 years and above (68%: 49%+19%) are either overweight or obese. In conclusion, the heart disease poll has revealed that about half of the adult Nigerian population (52%) are unaware of incidents of heart disease in their locality, leaving 48% aware. Of those aware, the highest level of awareness was expressed by respondents from the North-East zone (65%) and by senior citizens aged 61+ (63%). Findings also revealed that the majority (77%) of Nigerians are not concerned about personally being at risk of having heart disease, and this cuts across gender. Two-third (67%) of the respondents claimed that they have checked/measured their blood pressure in the last 1 year, with an increase of proportion with age. The vast majority (85%) of respondents, irrespective of gender, age or geopolitical zones, stated that their blood pressure was at normal, and 6% reported their blood pressure as high. Respondents aged 61+ (28%) had the highest proportion with high blood pressure. Furthermore, an evaluation of the BMI calculated using the height and weight of respondents revealed that in total, about half of respondents (48%) are either overweight (25%) or obese(23%) thus exposing them to an increased risk of heart disease. Finally, the poll has established that, although many Nigerians are exposed to one or more risk factors of cardiovascular disease, the majority do not think that they are personally at risk of the disease. Our findings suggest that Nigerians may not fully understand that some lifestyle habits are also risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The increase in cardiovascular diseases in countries that still have a large burden of infectious diseases has been described as the “double burden” of disease that threatens to overwhelm the health services of many resource-poor countries[1]. As Nigeria continues to grapple with its large burden of TB, HIV, Malaria and other communicable diseases, it is important to also focus on the increasing burden of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in May 19th to 20th 2014. 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 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No.1 for country specific polling services in West Africa, which works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. EpiAFRIC is an advisory, research and capacity development organization set up to drive quality improvement in the health sector through an innovative, efficient, transparent and financially sustainable; creating an ecosystem of services for clients in the health sector. More information is available at www.epiafric.com Disclaimer This report has been produced by NOIPolls Limited in collaboration with EpiAFRIC to provide information on cardiovascular disease among Nigerians. NOIPolls and EpiAFRIC hereby certifies that all the ideas expressed in this document accurately reflect the answers provided by the respondents surveyed for the poll. Background information is based on information from various sources. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, it cannot be guaranteed that this report does not contain any errors. 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 current findings and/or thinking of NOIPolls and EpiAFRIC. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] Cardiovascular Disease in the Developing World and Its Cost-Effective Management Thomas A. GazianoCirculation. 2005;112:3547-3553 [2] Decreasing trends in cardiovascular mortality in Turkey between 1988 and 2008 Gönül Dinç, Kaan Sözmen, Julia Critchley and Belgin Ünal BMC Public Health 2013, 13:896 [3] Cardiovascular disease risk factors, available at http://www.world-heart-federation.org/press/fact-sheets/cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/ [accessed May 24, 2014] [4] Strategies to prevent heart disease, available at http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502 [accessed May 24, 2014] [1] The emerging epidemic of obesity in developing countries, Prentice M. Andrew International Journal of Epidemiology 2006;35:93–99 Cover picture was taken from: http://medicmagic.net/general-information-about-heart-attacks.html

Abuja, Nigeria. September 1st, 2015 – A recent poll result from a polling partnership between BusinessDay Media and NOIPolls Limited has revealed that Nigerians (85 percent) are aware of the President’s on-going campaign against corruption, and more than 9 in 10 Nigerians (95 percent) have shown strong support for the campaign. This support by Nigerians cut across gender, age and geographical divides of the respondents surveyed. In the same vein, a significant proportion of Nigerians (86 percent) also want the President’s campaign against corruption to be channelled towards the ‘public sector’, most especially the oil and gas sector and the ‘Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC)’ (20 percent) amongst others. Furthermore, as part of the procedures for the President’s anti-corruption campaign, some Nigerians (32 percent) suggest the government should invest the recovered funds on ‘job creation’, with the majority of respondents in this category aged between 25 – 30 years (38 percent). This comes as no surprise considering the high rate of youth unemployment & underemployment in the country, which currently stands at 26.5 percent for Q2 2015 as provided by the National Bureau of Statistics. In addition, 20 percent of respondents were of the view that the recovered funds be invested in ‘education’, while 14 percent suggested investments in ‘Agriculture’ amongst other sectors of the economy. Finally ‘Life imprisonment’ topped the list of punitive measures recommended for corrupt officials and individuals as suggested by half (50 percent) of the respondents surveyed; although some Nigerians believe due process should be taken to convict corrupt individuals and allowed to be ‘punished according to the law’ (34 percent), while steps should be taken to ‘recover monies from corrupt individuals’ (11 percent) amongst other penalties. These are the key findings from the Corruption poll conducted in the week of 24th August 2015. Brief Background The World Bank’s ‘Worldwide Governance Indicators’ in 2013 placed Nigeria below an average of 30 percent on its scorecard of how countries seek to control corruption[1]. Similarly, Transparency International’s ‘Corruption Perception Index’ (CPI) in 2014 ranked Nigeria 136th out of the 174 countries it surveyed based on how corrupt their public sector is presumed to be.[2] There is no doubt that the massive support received by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the March 28 presidential polls which witnessed his emergence, was propelled by his personal stance against corruption and his promise to deal ruthlessly with corruption and currupt officials during his tenure. Following his emergence, the President has commenced his promised campaign against corruption and irregularities in Nigeria by setting up a Presidential Advisory Committee on Anit-Corruption. He also set up a committee to investigate a shortfall in remittance by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into the Federation Account since 2012, and to look into the Excess Crude Account and report back on the rationale to which it would continue or discontinue operation. The president has alse set up a committe to probe weapon procurement since 2007. Borrowing the same leaf from the president, the Nigerian Senate has also set up a panel to investigate the alleged unauthorised spending of N567 billion being the cost of tax collected by the Nigerian Custom Service and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) from January 2005 to July 2015 [3]. In this regard, Nigerians have advised the president to consider all sectors of the economy in his bid to fight corruption and also to ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds recovered from the corrupt officials and individuals. Against this background, NOIPolls Limited conducted a corruption poll to ascertain the awareness of Nigerians on the President’s recent campaign to fight corruption, the sector of the Nigerian economy where corruption is perceived to be most prevalent and recommendations on possible punishments for corrupt individuals. Survey Findings Respondents to the poll were asked six specific questions. To assess the awareness of Nigerians on the President’s fight against corruption, respondents were asked: Are you aware that President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on a campaign to fight corruption in Nigeria? A significant proportion of Nigerians interviewed (85 percent) expressed awareness on the President’s fight against corruption in the country and a higher ratio in this category is from the North-East zone. This finding indicates a high level of awareness of the Presidents stance against corruption in Nigeria especially through all forms of media. However, 15 percent of respondents claimed not to be aware of the President’s campaign against corruption in Nigeria. Respondents were asked: Are you in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign to fight corruption in Nigeria? Findings revealed that the President’s corruption campaign has received the full backing of Nigerians as 95 percent registered their support. This cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-group. A minority of respondents (5 percent) showed no support for the President’s anti-corruption campaign. Respondents who are in support of the President’s corruption campaign (95% of the total) were further asked: In your opinion, which sector of the Nigerian economy should the President focus his fight against corruption? Findings revealed that the larger proportion of Nigerians (86 percent) want the President to focus his fight against corruption in the public sector. Moreover, the President had stated in an interview with CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour, during his visit to Washington D.C., that he would not be partisan in the fight against corruption in the country, saying that “there will be no sacred cow in the fight against corruption”.[4] Also, 7 percent of Nigerians were of the opinion that the President should focus more on the private sector, whereas 1 percent mentioned the third sector such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Respondents who indicated that the President should focus on the public sector in his campaign against corruption (86 percent of the total) were also asked: In your opinion, which specific agency/organization in the public sector should the President focus on? Findings revealed that the oil and gas sector, particularly the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (20 percent) topped the list of sectors most Nigerians want the President to focus on in his fight against corruption. This finding therefore suggests that the opinion of Nigerians towards this organisation buttresses the displeasure of the President towards the operations of organisations in the oil and gas sector. This was made known to the public during a meeting held with a delegation of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the President stated that he was disappointed with the way Nigeria’s oil industry had been operated since he left office as a former petroleum minister and as a military Head of State in 1985.[5] Other sectors on the list in descending order are as follows; Ministry of Health (15 percent), Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (10 percent), Police Service Commission (9 percent) amongst other sectors. Furthermore, respondents were asked: In your opinion, in which sector of the economy should the government invest most of the monies recovered from corrupt individuals? Findings indicate that most Nigerians (32 percent) want the government to invest the recovered monies in ‘employment creation’ with a majority of respondents in this category aged between 25 – 30 years (38 percent). This is not surprising considering the high rate of youth unemployment in the country. This is closely followed by respondents who want the recovered monies to be invested in ‘education’ with a majority of Nigerians in this category from the North-East zone (35 percent). Also, 14 percent stated that the government should invest recovered monies in ‘agriculture’ amongst other economic sectors in the country. Further analysis by gender revealed that more female than male respondents want the government to invest the recovered monies in job creation (41 percent) and education (22 percent) respectively. Lastly, respondents were asked: In your opinion, what would you recommend as punishment/penalty for corrupt individuals? ‘Life imprisonment’ topped the list of punishment/penalty recommended for corrupt individuals as stated by half (50 percent) of the respondents surveyed. While one third of Nigerians believe corrupt individuals should be “punished according to the law’ (34 percent), other Nigerians are of the opinion that corrupt individuals should have their properties seized and all stolen funds be recovered (13 percent) among other recommendations. In conclusion, the poll revealed that Nigerians are aware (85 percent) and strongly in support (95 percent) of the President’s on-going campaign against corruption in the country. Moreover, 86 percent of these respondents indicated that the President should focus his campaign mainly in the ‘public sector’, with key focus on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (20 percent) amongst other organisations. Finally, majority of respondents want the government to invest recovered funds primarily in ‘Employment Creation’, (32 percent) ‘Education’ (20 percent), ‘Agriculture’ (14 percent) and ‘Power’ (10 percent) amongst other sectors; while recommending ‘Life imprisonment’ (50 percent) as punishment to be meted out to corrupt officials convicted and found guilty. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of 24th August 2015. 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 3%. About NOIPolls 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 About BusinessDay Media BusinessDay, established in 2001, is a daily business newspaper based in Lagos, Nigeria. It is the only Nigerian newspaper with a bureau in Accra, Ghana. BusinessDay Media Ltd is the leading medium for up-to-date news and insightful analysis of business, policy and the economy in Nigeria, a critical decision-making tool for investors and managers. It provides unbiased news and informed analysis on politics, governance, social and economic trends. 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] World Bank, 2013. Enterprise Survey. http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/data/exploreeconomies/2013/nigeria [2] Transparency International, 2014. Corruption Perceptions Index. www.transparency.org [3] http://thestreetjournal.org/2015/08/nec-engages-foreign-firms-for-forensic-audit-of-firs-nnpc-cbn-others/ [4] http://leadership.ng/news/448669/no-sacred-cows-in-fight-against-corruption-buhari [5] http://www.punchng.com/news/past-govts-promoted-corruption-in-oil-sector-buhari/

Abuja, Nigeria. July 29th, 2014 – Latest Special Edition Security snap poll results released by NOIPolls Limited have revealed that Nigerians consider “Political interest (election issues) (26%)” and “Unemployment”(21%) as major cause of terrorism in Nigeria. These were followed by “Bad government/Leadership” (10%) and “Poverty” (8%). More findings revealed that almost all of the respondents (99%) are aware of the recent activities of terrorist groups; as well as aware of the abduction of 200 Chibok school girls in Borno State (98%). Also, 46%of the respondents are of the opinion that government and security agencies are not doing enough to rescue the abducted girls; while 54% believe they are doing enough. Furthermore, the result reveals that the 66% of the respondents believe that the abduction of the girls can potentially hinder girl-child education, especially in the North-East region. Finally, top suggestions proffered by Nigerians to tackle terrorism include: “Government should beef up security across the country” (25%); “Create more jobs” (18%); and “Prayer” (17%). These were the key findings from the Special Edition Security Snap Poll conducted in the week of July 21st 2014. Brief Background Security is critical in ensuring growth and development for any nation. In present day Nigeria, the plight of Nigerians has been characterised by ethnic genocide, (i.e clashes with Fulani herdsman), bloodshed (i.e recent bombings) and insecurity due majorly to the activities of terrorist groups most notably “Boko Haram” which has created unrest in the country.The direct effect of these terrorists activities in Nigeria is not only limited to the loss of lives and property but also to the disruption of economic activities, thereby impeding peace, economic growth and political development. It’s effect is also seen in the distortion of socio-cultural stability as well environmental deterioration.[1] In April 2014, the abduction of 276 school girls from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state was claimed by Boko Haram. This event generated worldwide attention with the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag trending on twitter worldwide. At present of greater concern is the fact that after over 100 days, the girls are yet to be rescued. In July 2014, Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old Pakistani education right activist brought her crusade for the education of the young girl-child to Nigeria. In her campaign, she declared that her wish is to see every child go to school. She also stated “I want to see my Nigerian sisters being released from their abduction and I want them to be free to go to school and continue their education,”[2]. Still relating to the abduction of the girls, President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday 22nd July 2014 in Abuja reassured the Chibok community that his Administration was doing everything humanly possible to rescue the abducted girls and return them safely to their parents.[3] Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its recent snap poll to seek the opinion of Nigerians regarding the activities of terrorist organisations and the possible root causes; as well as the abduction of school girls and its implication for girl-child education,with a view to proffering some remedies to addressing the issue of terrorism in the country. Key Findings Respondents to the poll were asked six specific questions. The first question sought to gauge the awareness of the activities of terrorist groups in Nigeria, respondents were asked: Are you aware of the recent activities of terrorist groups in Nigeria? Almost all adult Nigerians (99%) surveyed confirmed they are mindful of the recent actions of the terrorist group in Nigeria; this cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age groups. Subsequently, in order to guage the perceptions of Nigerians on the causes of terrorism, respondents were asked:In your opinion, what is the major cause of terrorism in Nigeria? From the results, a slight majority (26%) perceived that “Election/political interest” is the major cause of terrorism in Nigeria, followed by 21% of the respondents who attributed the issue of terrorism to “Unemployment”, “Bad government/leadership” (10%), “High level of poverty” (8%) and “Corruption” (6%). Further analysis across geo-political zones revealed that the North-East zone had the highest proportion of respondents that stated “Election/Political Interest” and “Unemployment” with 37%and 32% respectively, while the North-West zone had the largest proportion (13%) of respondents who were of the opinion that terrorism is caused by “High level of poverty”.Respondents aged above 60 years had the highest percentage of respondent who believe terrorism is caused by “election/political interest” (43%), while the 18–21 years age-group had the highest percentage of respondents (40%) who considered “unemployment” as the major cause of terrorism in Nigeria. To ascertain the level of awareness on the abducted Chibok school girls, respondents were asked: Are you aware of the abduction of the “Chibok school girls”? The findings revealed that 98% of the respondents are aware of the abduction of the Chibok school girls in Nigeria, while 2% claim that they are not aware of the incidence. Furthermore, respondents were asked: In your opinion, do you think that the Nigerian Government / security agencies are doing enough to rescue the Chibok school girls? In answer to this question, slightly more than half of the respondents (54%) responded positively acknowledging that the Nigerian Government/Security agencies are doing enough to rescue the Chibok school girls. On the contrary, 46% of respondents were of the opinion that government/security agencies are not doing enough to rescue the Chibok school girls. From the geo-political zones perspective, the South-East zone had the highest proportions of respondents (72%)who perceived that the Government/Security Agencies are doing enough to rescue the Chibok school girls. The South-West zone had the highest number of respondents (54%) who felt the Government/Security Agencies are NOT doing enough to rescue the Chibok school girls. This was closely followed by the North-East zone and the North-West zone with 53% and 52% respectively. Respondents were also asked: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the abduction of the Chibok school girls will hinder girl child education especially in the North-East region? The results revealed that the vast majority of respondents 66% (35%+31%) agreed the abduction of the Chibok school girls can potentially hinder girl-child education in the North-East region, whereas 13% of those surveyed remained neutral. On the other hand, 21% (17%+4%) of respondents disagreed that the abduction of the Chibok school girls will hinder girl-child education in the North-East. The North-East zone had the highest proportion of respondents 82% (38%+34%) who thought that the abduction of the school girls will discourage girl-child education in the region, followed by the South-West zone with 72% (40%+32%). The South-East Zone had the largest number of respondents 30% (25%+5%) who disagreed that the abduction of the girls will hamper girl child education. Also, the age-group of 18 – 21 years had the highest proportion 82% (42%+40%) of respondents who agreed the abduction of the school girls will discourage girl child education in the region, while those aged 60 years and above have the largest ratio (28%)who disagreed. Finally, respondents were asked: What do you recommend to the government in order to reduce terrorist activities in the country? Based on the responses, 25% of Nigerians advised that the government should; “Beef up security across the country” in order to minimize terrorist activities; whereas 18% said “Creation of more jobs”. Other suggestions by Nigerians include: “Prayer” (17%); “Government should be sincere” (12%) and “Dialogue with terrorists” (8%). The South-East had the highest (42%) proportion of respondents who suggested that “Beef up security across the country” could help curb terrorist activities in Nigeria. Also, the North-West accounted for the largest ratio(24%) of Nigerians who stated that “Creating more jobs” would reduce terrorism. In addition, the North-East zone had the highest (35%) who suggested “Prayers”. Furthermore, more female (29%) than male (22%) respondents indicated the government should “Beef up security across the country”. Respondents aged between 18 – 21 years have the highest proportion (38%) who suggested “Prayers”. In conclusion, the findings of this current poll has revealed that the vast majority (99%) of Nigerians are aware of the recent activities of terrorists in Nigeria, as well as the abduction of Chibok school girls. Also, Political Interest (26%) and “Unemployment” (21%) were identified as the two major causes of terrorism in Nigeria; thereby beaming the searchlight on politicians and government policy makers. More findings revealed that 98%of the respondents are aware of the abduction of the Chibok school girls in Nigeria, while 46% believe that the government and security agencies are not doing enough to rescue the abducted Chibok school girls, Nigerians have suggested that the government should “Beef up security across the country” (25%) “Create more jobs”,(18%) and “Prayer” (17%) among other suggestions. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of July 21st 2014. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1000 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 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa, which works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to 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] Terrorism In Contemporary Nigeria; European Scientific Journal March 2013 edition vol.9, No.8 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e – ISSN 1857- 7431 [2] Uk telegraph [3] www.punchng.com

Abuja, Nigeria. 17 December 2012– A recent snap poll conducted by NOI Polls have indicated that majority of Nigerians (68%) are wishing one another ‘Peace & Prosperity’ during this festive season. The poll which sought to sample the opinion of Nigerians regarding their hopes and expectations for this end of year festive season also showed that while 19% of respondents wished their fellow Nigerians ‘Goodwill’, a further 13% made ‘Other’ wishes such as wishing them ‘Best of luck’, ‘Safe journey’, ‘God’s protection’ and ‘Happy Christmas’. In general, the findings from this polls shows that despite the geographical, ethnic, religious and socio-economic differences of the respondents, and the challenges that the country has been through this year 2012, Nigerians are very much peace loving people, with a positive outlook towards life. HOW WILL THE FESTIVE SEASON BE SPENT? The poll further revealed that 78% of Nigerians will either ‘Travelling’ (39%) or ‘Staying at home to relax’ (39%) during this festive season. Also 9% of respondents said they will be attending events, while 7% said they will be attending family reunions/celebrations and 5% said they do not yet know how they will be spending the festive season. For those traveling, the poll further revealed that the Christmas holiday is usually a time to touch base and celebrate with their family % friends (65%), to visit their home towns & villages (17%), and provides an opportunity to relax from work (15%). GENERAL RISE IN PRICES The poll also sought the opinion of Nigerians as to whether they anticipate a general rise in prices of goods and services during this festive season. The results revealed that over 9 in 10 Nigerians (91%) are of the opinion that there will be general rice in prices during the festive season, with only 4% answering ‘No’. When further probed, the majority of respondents (58%) perceived that price increases will mostly be felt in the cost of food; followed by 21% who felt the increases will be in the cost of transportation and 8% who felt the increases will be felt in the cost of clothing. As a result, over 6 in 10 respondents (61%) were of the opinion that the anticipated rise in prices will lead to increased spending in: Food (46%), Transport (28%) and Clothes (21%). PERCEPTION TOWARDS SECURITY Finally, respondents were asked to assess the security situation in their states and whether they believe their state Police Commands are ready to respond to any security alerts that may occur during this festive season. The result showed that 52% of respondents were of the opinion that their states are ‘Peaceful and secure’; while 37% said their states are ‘Peaceful, but not very secure’. A further 5% of respondents were of the opinion that their states are ‘Tense and insecure’. Similarly, on whether the state Police commands are ready to respond to any security alerts during this season, 53% of respondents answered in the affirmative, with 32% responding negatively, and 16% saying they ‘Don’t know’. Therefore, these findings appear to affirm the confidence of a good proportion of Nigerians in the capacity of Nigeria Police Force to provide the much needed security to citizens during this yuletide season. Results are based on a nationwide telephone survey of 671 randomly selected phone-owning adults, aged 18 and older, and conducted from November 22nd – 23rd 2012. For results based on this sample size, we can say with 95% confidence that the margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points of what they would have been if the entire population had been surveyed. The margin of error reflects the influencing of data weighting, while question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys may introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Abuja, Nigeria. September 5th, 2017 – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Literacy Day is observed worldwide on September 8th each year. The day aims to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. According to UNESCO’s “Global Monitoring Report on Education”, one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women, while also adding that millions of children are still out of school and many more irregularly attend or drop out. In light of this,UNESCO’s National Programme Advisor on Education, Dr Mohammed Alkali, during an advocacy visit to Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Kastina state in October 2015, disclosed that a survey tracking illiteracy revealed that about 65 million Nigerians are still illiterate and thatpeople can be lifted out of poverty if they are empowered with basic reading skills.[1] In view of the 2017 Day commemoration, NOIPolls presents a throwback from its Girl Child Education poll conducted in February 2017, which gauged the level of importance attached to Girl Child Education in Nigeria, its priority and the factors militating against it as well as suggestions on how to promote it. The poll confirmed the significance of girl child education to the society, with 99 percent of respondents acknowledging its importance. However, the poll highlighted the role of poverty (28 percent), culture (20 percent), parental illiteracy (18 percent) and child marriage (15 percent) as major factors militating against girl child education in the country. Despite the general consensus on the importance of girl child education to communities as attested to by almost all respondents (99%), the girl child still suffers deprivation of basic education, usually sacrificing her chances to the boy child. This could be attributed to the erroneous belief that boys are more resilient and thus would break the cycle of poverty and also would eventually become the head of their households as mentioned by majority of the respondents (79 percent). More findings from the poll indicated that a substantial proportion of Nigerians (63 percent) advocated that boys and girls be given equal access to education at all levels as they both have equal rights. Although 18 percent considered educating girls ahead of boys, because they believe girls are homely, and when a girl is educated, it translates to the education of an entire community; however, 19 percent believe boys should have priority over girls in accessing education because they believe boys will grow to become the head of the household. These persistent inequalities in education cripple the lives of several women and girls in terms of deprivation, vulnerability, poverty, and exploitation. Therefore, society must not falter in educating girls to the same level as boys as an educated female population increases a country’s productivity and fuels economic growth. Furthermore, in order to foster the girl child participation in education in Nigeria, 30 percent of the respondents suggested mass public sensitization on the dire need to educate the girl child vis-a-vis its importance. Parental literacy was also advised by 25 percent as they believe that if a parent is enlightened, there is an equal chance that the child, either a boy or a girl, would also be educated. Finally, as poverty has been cited as one of the major reason for less participation of the girl child in education, government at all levels must do more to harmonise the policies that would create more job opportunities to eradicate poverty or reduce it to the barest minimum, while also partnering with development agencies and the private sector to build more girls’ community schools and provide affordable/free education. These were some of the key findings from the Girl Child Education poll conducted in February, 2017. Excerpts of Findings from the NOIPolls survey on Girl Child Education The girl child needs to be educated in order to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills needed to advance her status for social interactions and self-improvement. Girl child education enables the girl utilize her full potentials, broadens her mind, prepares her for the challenges of life and teaches her how to conquer them; she is given the confidence to discover who and what she wants to be. With education, she would break the shell of ignorance and open that of self-discovery. In support of these statements, the poll revealed that almost all adult Nigerians (99 percent) surveyed, irrespective of age, sex and tribe acknowledged that girl child education is important in their community. Furthermore, in gauging the opinions of Nigerians in terms of boys and girls accessing education, findings from the poll revealed that most Nigerians (63 percent) believed that both boys and girls should be given equal opportunity in accessing education. Residents from the South-East zone (86 percent) and South-South zone (85 percent) formed the largest proportion of Nigerians in this category. On the other hand, residents from the North-East (32 percent) and North-West (42 percent) zones had the lowest representation of respondents that agreed that both genders should have the same privilege in accessing education. According to a study by UNESCO, school children in Nigeria, particularly those in the Northern region, are at a disadvantage in their education, with 37 percent of primary-age girls in the rural North-East not attending school and 30 percent of boys not attending school.[2] In addition, 19 percent of the respondents opined that boys should be prioritized in accessing education. There are more males (25 percent) than females (13 percent) that approved of this with the largest proportion of respondents from the North-West zone (33 percent). Also, 18 percent stated that girls should be given more priority in getting education over boys. Majority of the respondents in this category are residents from the North-East zone with 39 percent representation. During the course of the survey, most respondents disclosed that women are underrepresented in some scientific and technological disciplines especially in the area of Medicine and Surgery. A lot of them mentioned that they would rather a female doctor take child delivery at hospitals, than a male doctor or nurse. Furthermore, the poll sought the opinion of Nigerians on the factors militating against girl child education in Nigeria and 28 percent (which formed majority in this category) mentioned poverty as the cause, which is also one of the most disturbing economic issue ravaging the entire sub-Saharan Africa. With about 67 percent of Nigerians living in poverty,[3] parents will be faced with challenges of making a choice to sacrifice the education of some of their children for the education of the one (usually the boy child) as he is perceived to have the capability to break the cycle of poverty. Another social problem mentioned by 20 percent is the one posed by culture and tradition. Some traditions, especially in this part of the world, espouse that a woman’s place is in her husband’s kitchen and her primary role is centred on her home. These beliefs have caused girls to remain uneducated as such families’ see investment in girl child education as a waste of resources. Even after some girls narrowly get the education, they face social and cultural barriers in obtaining leadership and management positions because they are women. More findings revealed that parental literacy was cited by 18 percent of the respondents, with most of these responses from the North-West zone (23 percent). This is another social problem limiting the girl child’s access to education because an illiterate parent would place less value on education thus making the girl child bear the burden of deprivation. Another social issue referred to by 15 percent of the respondents is child marriage. The Child’s Rights Act of 2003 prohibits child marriages and betrothals and section 21 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria outlaws any marriage contracted by anyone less than 18 years old as it is considered invalid. Yet, in some part of the country, whenever a girl attains the ages of 12-14, she has come of a marriageable age. This is one of the reasons why basic education is very essential. Other factors mentioned to have been militating against Girl Child education are ‘gender discrimination’ (9 percent), ‘religion’ (4 percent), ‘ignorance and illiteracy’ (3 percent) among other mentions. Lastly, the views of Nigerians were assessed on suggestions to promote girl child education in Nigeria and 30 percent advocated for a general public sensitization on its importance. Another proportion (25 percent) recommended that parents should be further enlightened on the importance of education. Owing to poverty been highlighted as one of the most important factors militating against girl child education in Nigeria, 24 percent have called upon the stakeholders to promote free education with a special focus on girls. Also, 5 percent suggested that more girls’ community schools be built and made affordable (4 percent), while 3 percent advised that poverty should be eradicated by creating more job opportunities as parents are more likely to educate their children (both boys and girls) if they can afford to, among other suggestions. In conclusion, the poll has shown that majority of Nigerians (99 percent) believe that girl child education is important to them and their communities. Out of this fraction, 63 percent have advocated for equal proportion of boys and girls to be enrolled in school hence, stakeholders in the education sector must gear up and demand for stronger legislation and policies for protection and inclusion of the girl child in education. Equality exists when women and men have access to quality education, resources and productive work in all domains, and when they are able to share power and knowledge on this basis. Though 18 percent stated that girls should be given priority in accessing education over boys, 19 percent also felt that boys should have more priority in accessing education as most respondents (79 percent) perceived that boys would grow to be the head of the house. Therefore, the Federal, State and Local governments must do far more for girls’ right to education in the area of legislation. This will go a long way to bolster girls’ capacities and create conditions for the fulfilment of their aspirations. In addition, 28 percent has named poverty as one of the major reasons the girl child is deprived of quality education while 20 percent blamed it on culture and tradition. As a result, the government and other stakeholders must work harder at creating more job opportunities to eliminate poverty and also make investment in girls and women’s education a national priority. This will also assist in eliminating the historical gender gap in formal knowledge and skills acquisition and do a lot more to sensitize citizens about the importance of girl child education as suggested by 30 percent of the respondents. Finally, educating the girl child means better health for the future generation, reduction in child illness and mortality thus triggering a snowball effect of achieving all other Sustainable Development Goals in a viable manner. Therefore, the Child’s Rights Act should be strengthened and implemented in all states to checkmate all forms of child abuse. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing February 27th, 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geo-political 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 3%. 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, you can also 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.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/65-million-nigerians-are-illiterates-unesco/ [2]http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/fight-girl-child-education-north-must-continue/ [3]http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/poverty-112m-nigerians-live-poverty-line/

Abuja, Nigeria. April 25th 2017 – New aggregated power poll results released by NOIPolls for the first quarter of 2017 revealed a decline in the state of power supply to Nigerian households to 30 percent in Q1, 2017 from the 37 percent obtained in Q4, 2016. The lowest power supply to households in Q1, 2017 was observed in the month of January 2017 at 21 percent. The drop was attributed to the shortage of gas to the power generating companies and low water levels at the hydro power stations. However, in February 2017, there was a surge in the power supply as it rose to 35 percent and it was also attributed to the increased amount of power supplied to the power generating companies. For Q1 2017, the monthly average cumulative hours of power supply experienced was recorded as 7.5 hours in January which was the lowest, it went up to 9.8 hours in February which was recorded as the highest. The results obtained from the poll also revealed that for Q4, 2016, average daily power cumulative supply was 9.6 hours, while in Q1, 2017, it dropped to an average of 8.9 hours daily, indicating a 0.7-point decrease. A cumulative power supply of 8.9 hours per day is a far cry from the standard 24 hours power supply which Nigerian households ought to be experiencing, thus further buttressing the issues inherent in Nigeria’s power sector. The Federal government had embarked on several power sector interventions in the past, which have failed to yield any sustained positive impact. Still in the bid to revive the power sector, the Federal Government in collaboration with the World Bank recently set out guidelines for the power sector recovery plans to create a viable sector that is privately run. While this is a welcomed strategy for the revival of the sector, it is imperative that the in the execution of the plan, constant evaluation with visible milestones within specific time frames are maintained. These are some of the key findings from the aggregated power sector poll conducted by NOIPolls for Q1, 2017. Background It is no longer news that power generation and supply has continued to pose challenges to the economic and social lives of Nigerians. Although there are evidences of concerted efforts to make the power sector work at optimum level, the sector is still riddled with vast problems ranging from generation to distribution. Industry watchers have blamed majority of the crisis bedeviling the power sector on the monopolistic nature of the hydroelectric generating systems. Nigeria is blessed with diverse natural resources which developed nations use to generate abundant electricity but less attention has been paid to those options. Nigeria is one of the least electrified nations and its current power generation, which continues to hover between 3,000 and 5,000 megawatts, cannot keep up with the population growth. According to a World Bank report, about 75 million Nigerians lack access to adequate electricity and Nigeria was ranked highest among the countries with electricity access deficit when energy access, efficiency and renewable are on the rise in many developing nations[1]. It is against this background that NOIPolls conducted its quarterly survey to assess electricity distribution to Nigerian households in the first quarter of 2017. Survey Findings Nationwide Monthly Tracking of Power Supply Monthly analysis of the state of power supply between January and March 2017 revealed that 35 percent of Nigerians reported an improvement in power supply to their household in the month of February. This state of power was maintained with a slight 1-point decline in March 2017 at 34 percent. Overall, the lowest power supply recorded in the first quarter of 2017 was experienced in the month of January, at 21 percent. Monthly Tracking of Power Supply by Geo-political Zones Results revealed that for Q1 2017, according to geo-political zones, the South-East region experienced the least improvement in power supply in January with 6 percent while the North-West region had the highest improvement in both February and March with 70 percent respectively. Nationwide Average Quarterly Trend of Power Supply Quarterly analysis of the state of power revealed 9 percentage point dip in power improvement in Q1, 2017 at 30 percent from Q4 2016 at 37 percent. Therefore, this result reveals a decline in power supply to households in the first quarter of 2017. Nationwide Monthly Average Cumulative Daily Power Supply February 2017 accounted for the month with the highest average cumulative daily power supply in the first quarter of 2017. Nigerians surveyed confirmed that they had an average of 9.8 hours cumulative daily power supply in February, while the lowest average cumulative daily power supply in Q1, 2017 was seen in the month of January at 7.5 hours. Quarterly Average Daily Cumulative Power Supply On a quarter-to-quarter basis, the average daily cumulative power supply to households in Q1, 2017 declined to 8.9 hours when compared with the 9.6 hours obtained in Q4, 2016. This represents a 0.7-point decrease and shows that Nigerians enjoyed more power supply averagely in Q4, 2016. In conclusion, these results show that despite decades of efforts by successive administrations to tackle the many challenges of electricity in Nigeria, they have yielded little or no sustained improvements. In Q4, 2016, 37 percent of Nigerians reported that power supply to their households has improved but in Q1, 2017, it reduced to 30 percent, representing a 7-points decrease. Also, the results revealed that the average cumulative daily power supply enjoyed by the individual households was highest in the month of February with 9.8 hours and this slightly declined to 9.4 hours in the succeeding month of March 2017. Although Q4, 2016 had 9.6 hours as the average cumulative power supply, this declined to 8.9 hours in Q1, 2017. Finally, it is important that the power sector is revamped as many stakeholders have been clamoring over the years. If the country could dwell on the availability of adequate sunlight in the country and build solar powered energy hub and also bank on the availability of the large deposit of natural gas and build more natural gas plants to generate electricity, the country’s power problems will not only be resolved but the power sector would thrive and generate a lot of jobs which would in turn improve unemployment in Nigeria. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted over a period of three months (January to March 2017). It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 3,000 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 3%. 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] http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy/publication/global-tracking-framework-2017?cid=GPCCSA_CAR_Links_EXT

Abuja, Nigeria. June 17th, 2014 – Latest FIFA World Cup 2014 poll results released by NOIPolls Limited have revealed high level of patriotism by Nigerians as the vast majority (87%) have expressed support the Super Eagles at the on-going 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil; while some others support countries like Brazil (18%)and Spain (9%). The poll further revealed that 38% of respondents believe the Super Eagles of Nigeria will proceed beyond the group stages, while another 24% believe that Nigeria and Ghana are the two African countries that will qualify to the second round. Also, when asked which country will win the World Cup, 50% of respondents think Nigeria will win, with more female (71%) than male (46%) respondent expressing support. This was followed by 32% who think Brazil will win. Moreover, when respondents were asked directly if they think Nigeria can win the World Cup; 57% think the Super Eagles can win the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the reasons include: “Players are good” (24%), “They are Nigerians” (22%) and “It is possible with God” (18%). On the other hand, 43% of the respondents think Nigeria cannot win the trophy this year; with reasons which include: “They are not prepared” (32%), “Lack of experience” (18%) and “Previous poor performance” (15%). These were some of the key findings from the FIFA World Cup 2014 Snap Poll conducted in the week ofJune 2nd 2014. Brief Background The 2014 FIFA World Cup is here again, with so much excitement, and Nigeria is not left out in the frenzy, considering that it’s our fifth appearance at the tournament. According to the latest FIFA ranking released in June 2014, Nigeria is currently ranked 44th in the world and hopes to use this tournament to improve its rankings. Nigeria has been placed in Group F alongside Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iran[1] and the Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, has expressed his team’s readiness to keenly compete for the trophy[2]. Against this background, for its Sports themed poll, NOIPolls conducted a poll on the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament to measure the support of Nigerians for participating teams in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the opinion of Nigerians about the Super Eagles of Nigeria winning the 2014 World Cup. Key Findings Respondents to the poll were asked five specific questions. The first sought to measure the support of Nigerians for participating countries in the FIFA World Cup. Respondents were asked: Which country do you support in the upcoming FIFA World Cup? From the multiple responses provided, the results revealed that the overwhelming majority (87%) of respondents support the Super Eagles of Nigeria. This shows the high level of patriotism expressed by Nigerians, particularly when it comes to football. Nigeria is followed by Brazil and Spain with 18% and 9% support respectively. Analysis by geo-political zones revealed that the South-East zone (96%) had the highest proportion of respondents that indicated support for the Super Eagles; closely followed by the North-East zone with 92%. In addition, the North-East and the South-West zones have the highest number of respondents who support Brazil with 25% each while the South-East zone accounts for the highest proportion of respondents (10%) that support the Spanish team. In order to gauge the thoughts of Nigerians on the country that will win the tournament, respondents were asked:In your opinion, which country do you think will win the FIFA 2014 World Cup? Half of the respondents (50%) think the Nigeria will win the trophy; followed by 32% of the respondents think Brazil will win, while 7% think Spain will win the FIFA 2014 World Cup. Further analysis across gender shows that more female (71%) than male (46%) respondents expressed support for Nigeria; while analysis across geo-political zones shows that the North-East zone (67%) has the highest proportion of respondents that think Nigeria will win. In addition, the North-West zone has the highest proportion of respondents who were of the opinion that Brazil or Germany will win the cup with 37% and 13%respectively. Furthermore, a significantly higher proportion of females (71%) than males (46%) think Nigeria will win the FIFA 2014 World Cup Subsequently, respondents were asked: Which African country(ies) do you think will go past the group stages? The results reveal that 38% of respondents think the Super Eagles of Nigeria will go past the group stages, while another 24% think both Nigeria and Ghana will qualify from the group stages of the World Cup. In addition, 9% think Nigeria and Ivory Coast will progress, while 7% think Ghana alone will move to the knockout stage. Analysis by the geo-political zone standpoint reveals that the North-East zone (57%) has the highest percentage of respondents who think Nigerian alone will go past the group stages. The North-West zone (30%) has the highest fraction of respondents who think both Nigeria and Ghana will advance while the South-South zone(16%) accounts for the largest proportion of respondents who think both Nigeria and Ivory Coast will go past the group stages. Subsequently, respondents were asked: Do you think Nigeria can win the 2014 FIFA World Cup? In response to the question, the slight majority (57%) think the Super Eagles of Nigeria can win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On the other hand, 43% of respondents think Nigeria cannot win. The North- East zone (75%) has the highest proportions of respondents who think the Super Eagles can win the tournament, closely followed by the South-East zone with 70%. In addition, the North-West zone (56%)accounts for the highest number of respondents who think Nigeria cannot win the FIFA World Cup. Finally, to ascertain reasons for responses given to the previous question, respondents were asked: Why do you think Nigeria can or cannot win the 2014 FIFA World Cup? Respondents who think Nigeria can win the World Cup (57% of the total) gave reasons such as: “The players are good” (24%), “They are Nigerians” (22%), “It is possibly with God” (18%) and “Good team work” (14%). On the other hand, respondents who think the Nigeria cannot win the World Cup (43% of the total) gave reasons such as: “They are not really prepared” (32%), “Lack of experience” (18%), “Previous poor performance” (15%), “Nigeria does not have a team yet” (14%) and “FIFA manipulation” (12%). In conclusion, the poll results have shown once again highlighted the patriotism of Nigerians when it comes to football, as the vast majority (87%) support the Super Eagles at the on-going 2014 FIFA World Cup; although some others express support for Brazil (18%) and Spain (9%). Also, when respondents were asked directly if they think Nigeria can win the World Cup, 57% think the Super Eagles can win the 2014 FIFA World Cup for reasons such as: “Players are good” (24%), “They are Nigerians” (22%) and “It is possible with God” (18%). On the other hand, 43% of the respondents who think Nigeria cannot win the trophy simply gave reasons such as: “They are not prepared” (32%), “Lack of experience” (18%) and “Previous poor performance” (15%). Given these mixed views from Nigerians, it will be interesting to see how well the Super Eagles perform at the on-going 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in June 6th to 9th 2014. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 505 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 4.4%. NOIPolls Limited, No. 1 for country specific polling services in West Africa, which works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to 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

Abuja, Nigeria. January 14th, 2014 – New Year Special poll results released by NOIPolls Limited has revealed that the top three areas Nigerians would like the President to focus on in 2014 are “Job creation”, “Electricity” and “Security”. Furthermore, the majority (79%) of Nigerians described their Christmas and New Year holiday as “enjoyable”; a 17-point increase from 2013. These are the key findings from the New Year Special Edition Poll conducted in the week of Monday 6th January 2014. NOIPolls conducted this special edition poll to explore the expectations of Nigerians in 2014. The result presented is the second in series of annual New Year polls conducted by NOIPolls; the first was conducted in January 2013. Respondents to the poll were asked six specific questions; the First question sought to explore the perceptions of Nigerians regarding their Christmas and New Year holiday, respondents were asked: In general, how would you describe your Christmas and New Year holidays? Responses show that the majority of the respondents (79%: 46%+33%) indicated their Christmas and New Year holiday was “enjoyable”, (13%) said “it was ok” while (8%: 7%+1%) claimed it was not enjoyable. Analysis by geo-political zones revealed that the North-East zone (85%: 46%+39%) has the highest proportion of respondents who indicated that it was “enjoyable”followed by North-West zone with 83% (62%+21%).Further analysis by age revealed that younger respondents within the age group of 18-21 years had the highest proportion that described their holiday as very enjoyable (69%). When the findings from the current poll are compared with the poll conducted in 2013, the results indicates a15-point increase in the proportion of Nigerians that say their holiday was very enjoyable from 2013 (31%) and a 2-point increase in the proportion of Nigerians that claim it was enjoyable from 2013 (31%) to 2014 (33%). Conversely, a 19-point decline was recorded for the proportion of Nigerians that revealed the holiday was ok. The second question sought to measure the proportion of Nigerians that travelled during the holiday, respondents were asked: Did you travel for the Christmas and New Year holiday? The result showed that the majority (58%) of Nigerians did not travel during the festive season while 42% of Nigerians affirmed they travelled. Further analysis by geo-political zone indicates that the South-East zone recorded the highest (70%)proportion of Nigerians that travelled while South-West zone had the lowest (30%) proportion of Nigerians that did not travel during the festive season. A trend analysis of both polls conducted revealed a 4-point increase in the proportion of Nigerians that travelled from 2013 (38%); and a corresponding 4-point decline in the percentage of respondents who did not travel for the Christmas and New Year holiday. Subsequently in order to explore the transportation cost implication, respondents who indicated they travelled for the holiday (48% of the total) were asked: Did you experience any increase in the cost of transportation during the holidays? The result revealed that (55%) of Nigerians who travelled for the holiday experienced an increase in the cost of transportation during the holidays while (45%) of Nigerians claim they did not experience a price increase. Further analysis by geo-political zone reveal that the South-East zone (73%) accounted for the highest proportion of Nigerians that experienced a hike in the cost of transportation; this is followed by the North-West zone with (60%) in addition, the highest proportion of respondents who did not experience any increase in the cost of transportation were from North-East zone with 57%. Furthermore, in order to assess the current state of Nigerian road, respondents were asked: Compared to previous years, how would you describe the state of Nigerian roads while travelling for the holiday? In response, (75%) of respondents witnessed an improvement in the state of Nigeria roads; while(11%) stated that “there is no difference at all”. A further 10% indicated that “it remains bad”. The North-East zone (47%) recorded the highest percentage of Nigerians that affirmed the state of Nigerian roads improved, followed by North-West zone with 35%. In addition, majority of the respondents that affirmed the Nigerian roads have improved (91%: 54%+37%) are within the age-group of 18-21 years. Again, a comparison of the current poll results with those obtained in 2013 revealed a 7-point increase in the proportion of Nigerians that witnessed an improvement in the state of Nigerian road and a corresponding 7-point decline in the percentage of those that said “there is no difference” from 2013. The fifth question sought to assess the state of security of the nation during the festive period, all respondents were asked: How would you describe the state of security where you spent the holiday? The majority(87%) stated that it was “peaceful and secure”. In addition, while 11% of the respondents claimed it was “peaceful but not secure”, 2% stated that it was “tensed and insecure”. It is also evident that South-East zone had the highest (94%) proportion of Nigerians that said “peaceful and secure”, this is followed by followed by North-Central with 90%. The North-East zone accounted for the highest proportion of Nigerians that indicated their locality was “peaceful but not secure” (76%). A comparison of the two polls conducted in 2012 and 2013, a drastic 15-point increase in the proportion of respondents that stated “peaceful and secure”, and an 11-point decline in Nigerians that indicated “peaceful but not secure is experienced from 2013 to 2014. Finally, respondents were asked: What are the three key areas you would like the president to focus his attention to this year 2014? Responses show that the majority of respondents (19%) want the president to focus his attention on “job creation”; followed by “electricity” (17%) and “security” (12%). This result indicates that their utmost expectation for 2014 is for the president to make job creation his top priority. In conclusion, the current poll results have revealed that majority of the respondents (79%) indicated their Christmas and New Year holiday was “enjoyable” and findings indicate that 58% of Nigerians did not travel during the festive season. More findings revealed that 87% of the respondents experienced a “peaceful and secure” security situation during the festive period. The poll further revealed an improved state of Nigerian roads during the holidays as indicated by 75%. Finally, with a variety of issues on the minds of Nigerians to be tackled by the Government, the top three factors that Nigerians suggested the President should focus on are Job creation (19%), Electricity (17%) and Security (12%). This is not significantly different from last year’s key areas of focus which were Job creation (24%), Security (18%) and Electricity (17%); though this shows that security appears to be less critical in 2014. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in January 6th to 8th 2014. 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 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No.1 for country specific polling services in West Africa, which works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to 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

Abuja, Nigeria. August 30th, 2016 –Latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls in partnership with Language & Skills Development Consulting Ltd has revealed that almost 7 in 10 Nigerians (68 percent) stated that there is a decline in the quality of English grammar in Nigeria within the last decade. Also, the poll revealed that factors responsible for the decline in the quality of English grammar in Nigeria were found to be ‘poor educational system’ particularly in education administration, and the state of infrastructure in the Nigerian educational sector. Other top factors responsible for this decline include; ‘dearth of qualified English language teachers’, ‘cultural/environmental influence, ‘influence of mother tongue’ and the ‘influence of pidgin English’. Furthermore, the results also revealed that reading culture in Nigeria is relatively poor, as only 4 percent of Nigerians read a book or a piece of literary material daily. The poll also shows that only 65 percent of Nigerians understand or communicate effectively in English. Additionally, analysis of results showed that 76 percent of Nigerians stated that proficiency in English Language should be a prerequisite when recruiting candidates for a job in Nigeria. Opinions were that this would help improve the quality of English Language in Nigeria, by putting pressure on prospective candidates to learn the basics of the language. Finally, the poll revealed that 89 percent of Nigerians are willing to pay a fee to help improve their written and spoken English, however, for general improvement in English Language in Nigeria; Nigerians recommend that ‘only competent teachers should be employed to teach English language’, ‘good reading culture across the Nigerian landscape should be promoted’,’ continuous training of English language teachers’ and ‘Improvement of the standard of education in public schools’ among several other suggestions. These are the key findings from the Decline in grammar Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week of JULY 14th 2016. Brief Background English language was introduced in Nigeria in the early 19th century by the British colonial administration. English language which has been rated as the world’s most popular language is a foreign language to Nigeria, and has been adopted as its national language. The English language has played a major role as the language of political unity in the country for many decades. Ethnographically, Nigeria has up to 250 ethnic groups, and 521 recognized indigenous languages.[1] Owing to the multi lingual and culturally dynamic society in Nigeria, English language should be far from extinction because it brings commonality between the diverse ethnic groups. Grammar which refers to the way words are used, classified, and structured together to form coherent written or spoken communication is a symbol of a good command of the English language.[2] The extent of grammar development in one’s vocabulary determines the accuracy and proficiency of written and spoken expressions. Education through communication is a way whereby people or groups are exposed to numerous English grammars. English dictionaries, novels, textbooks and spoken words are the means through which people learn and re-learn the English grammar. Over the past decade, there has been a growing argument that the quality of English Language spoken in Nigeria is on the decline. This argument suggests a disparity between spoken and written communication. With the growing influence of technology and the era of social media, English language communication is expected to be improving in Nigeria, instead there seems to be a decline in the quality of grammar spoken in the country. This is evidenced by the recent poor performance of Nigerian students in the study of English language.[3] On 24th April 2014, it was published by National Examination Council (NEC) that Nigerian students performed poorly both in English language and General Mathematics, but performed well in Islamic, Igbo and Arabic studies during the WAEC examinations. [4] Language is the vehicle of social interaction and we need effective language to function properly in the work place, social interaction, and indeed, for functional literacy. It must be emphasized that “a person is functionally literate when he/she has acquired the knowledge and skills in speaking,reading, listening and writing which enable him/her to engage effectively in all those activities in which literacy is normally assumed in his/her culture or group. [5] Based on the above, NOIPolls in partnership with Language and Skills Development Consulting Ltd conducted a survey to measure the opinions of Nigerians on the decline of English Language. Language & Skills Development Consulting Ltd (LSDC Ltd) is a language school, HR/Training firm and a Mystery Shopping Service Provider. It concerns itself with helping individuals and organizations grow and hone their English (and other languages) skill and also offers business consulting services. Survey Findings In order to ascertain the proficiency of Nigerians on written and spoken English language in Nigeria, respondents were asked to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is very poor and 10 is excellent) in the aspects of spoken and written English. The survey revealed that on the average, respondents rated themselves 7.1 and 6.6 in the aspects of written and spoken expressions respectively. Further analysis revealed that the female respondents rated themselves higher than the males at 7.3 compared to 6.9 in written expressions and 6.8 compared with 6.5 in spoken expression. This is in line with a perception that females in their formative ages tend to be more language active in terms of communicating with the English language. Analysis of results based on gender revealed that women tend to understand the phonology and semantics of the English language better than men. The poll also sought to measure the opinion of Nigerians about the decline in the proficiency of written and spoken English language within the period of ten years in Nigeria. The survey results revealed that 68 percent said ‘Yes’ it has declined and this further supports a World Bank report, which revealed that Nigerian graduates have low performance in the area of mastery of the English Language and that the weaknesses were predominantly detected in oral and written communication.[6] The respondents from the South East zone had the highest proportion (85 percent) of Nigerians who believe that there is a decline in grammar. In addition 32 percent disagreed; they maintained that the quality of the spoken and written English language in Nigeria has remained intact over the last decade. The largest number of respondents that differed about this decline is seen in the North West zone (44 percent). To gain more insights, those who claimed that there was a deterioration in the proficiency of English language were further asked to mention factors responsible for the drop in its quality. The largest proportion, 23 percent, mentioned poor educational systems as one of the factors responsible citing that majority of schools, both elementary to tertiary, face the more urgent problem of basic infrastructure, lack of habitable classrooms and amenities students needed to study effectively. Another 21 percent blamed the teachers for the woes saying it was due to lack of qualified teachers. In order to study English language and master it, the student must be assisted by the teacher to acquire skills in the language which are speaking, reading and writing. But the survey revealed that teachers are not as devoted and dedicated to the cause of education as their predecessors. The variation in the academic attainments of students could be related directly to differences in the home and its influence,while, 11 percent blamed it on cultural and environmental influence. The influence of modern technology was also mentioned by 9 percent which could be further supported by the study conducted by the Pew Research Center which found out that most students now rely mainly on search engines for assignments . A child’s first educational experience is centred in the home; his/her ideas, attitude and general pattern of behaviour are as a result of his/her childhood rearing, therefore, 8 percent said poor parental upbringing is responsible for the decline. Other factors mentioned were Lack of interest to learn (7 percent), poverty (6 percent), laziness in learning (5 percent), among others. Teachers as a group, 2 percent, also blame government for unattractive conditions of service and poor physical facilities in some parts of the educational system. Furthermore, the poll sought to find out the opinion of Nigerians regarding testing English grammar proficiency when recruiting candidates for a job position. And analysis of results showed that 76 percent of Nigerians nationwide stated that, it is important to test a candidate’s proficiency in English Language when recruiting for a job position. Further analysis of this response revealed that most respondents in this category supported this notion because they think that it is important for employees of any organization to have a great command of English Language, so as to be able to engage all and sundry within their work environment and beyond. More so, some respondents in this category supported the motion because English Language is one of Nigeria’s lingua-franca and hence a proficiency in the language is paramount when recruiting candidates for a job position. More analysis of results across geo-political zones revealed that the South-South region (81 percent) had the highest percentage of respondent in this category, while the North-East region (66 percent) had the lowest percentage of respondents in this category. On the contrary, 19 percent of respondents nationwide stated that they do not think proficiency in English Language should be tested when recruiting candidates for a job position. Further polling showed most candidates in this category stated this fact because they think the proficiency in English grammar test should only be considered when the job role requires such. Analysis of results across geo-political zones shows that the North- East region (27 percent) had the highest portion of respondents in this category, while the South-South region (12 percent) had the lowest portion of respondents in this category. It is however interesting to state that 5 percent of respondents nationwide were ‘indifferent’. The poll having established that about 68 percent of Nigerians nationwide think that there is a decline in the quality of spoken and written English grammar in Nigeria (see figure 4) the survey then sought to explore the opinion of Nigerians on measures and actions required to improve the quality of written and spoken English Language in Nigeria and analysis of results revealed that 29 percent of respondents nationwide stated that schools should ‘employ competent teachers’, this entails employing teachers that are qualified, certified by relevant regulatory bodies and properly equipped to teach English language. Whereas, 15 percent of respondents nationwide stated that ‘cultivating reading culture’ among the citizenry would help curtail this decline in the quality of written and spoken grammar in Nigeria. Most respondents in this category backed up their standpoint by stating that reading good books develops one’s vocabulary, choices sentence structures to emulate, and familiarity with writing itself. Further analysis of results revealed 11 percent of respondents nationwide stated ‘continuous training of teachers’. Respondents in this category opined that this continuous training of teachers of English language will ensure that teachers always improve their knowledge, evolve better methods of teaching and ultimately disseminate current and relevant knowledge of English language to students. Also, another 11 percent of respondents stated that the ‘standard of education in public schools should be improved’ particularly infrastructural improvement, their opinion being that it would improve the learning condition in schools. Other suggestions included: ‘encourage English speaking and writing in schools’ (8 percent), ‘parental involvement’ (5 percent), ‘make quality education affordable’ (5 percent) among others. The poll also sought to ascertain the reading habit of Nigerians and the survey results revealed that 59 percent of respondents nationwide stated that the last time they read a book ,journal, newspaper, or online publication was actually ‘less than a week’. Additional analysis results across geo-political zones revealed that the South-East region (70 percent) had the highest portion of respondents in this category, while the North-East region had the lowest percentage of respondents in this category. Analysis also showed that there were more males than females in this category (63 percent versus 55 percent). Subsequently, the results revealed that 13 percent of respondents nationwide stated they had last read a book about ‘1-2 weeks ago’. Again there were more males than females in this category (14 percent versus 12 percent).Other mentioned reading patterns include: ‘3-4 weeks ago’ (8 percent),’1-3 months ago’ (9 percent), ‘4-6 months’ (1 percent) and ‘6-12 months’ (6 percent). Astonishingly, more analysis of results showed that only 4 percent of Nigerians read a book daily. And further analysis across the geo-political zones revealed that the North-Central (17 percent) had the highest proportion of respondents in this category. Overall, the daily reading habits of Nigerians was found to be poor in gender, geo-political zones and age-group categories. In conclusion, the poll assessment of the opinions of Nigerians regarding the decline in English Language revealed that there is a considerable decline in the quality of English Language in Nigeria over the last decade. Nigerians cited ‘poor educational system’, ‘dearth in the quality of English Language teachers’, ‘cultural/environmental influence’ among others as reasons responsible for the considerable decline in the quality of English Language in Nigeria . It is therefore imperative for key players and stakeholders in the Nigerian Educational sector, as well as promoters of quality English grammar around the globe partner together to effectively to end this trending decline in the quality of English grammar in Nigeria by adopting new policies and necessary frame works. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of July 14th 2016. 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 3%. 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] http://www.onlinenigeria.com/languages/languages.asp [2] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/grammar [3] http://www.doublegist.com/student-performance-english-language-nigeria/ [4] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/04/wassce-performance-students-decline-english-gen-maths/ [5] http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/College-Student-Journal/150965814.html [6] http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2016/07/18/nigeria-macroeconomic-stability-for-accelerated-growth-job-creation-and-delivering-services-for-the-poor

Abuja, Nigeria. March 18th, 2014 – Latest snap poll results released by NOIPolls have revealed that 64% of Nigerians are of the opinion that skin bleaching has become highly predominant in the country, especially amongst Nigerian females (97%). This finding supports the claim by the World Health Organization (WHO) that Nigeria has the highest number of women that use skin-lightening products in the world. The poll further revealed that despite the negative effects of skin bleaching affirmed by83% of respondents; the top reasons why people still engage in the practice of skin bleaching are the need to “look beautiful” (35%) and to “look attractive to the opposite sex” (32%). Skin bleaching was also reported as being mostly predominant amongst Nigerians within the age groups of 18–25 years (48%) and 26-40 years (43%). In addition, respondents identified some of the negative effects associated with skin bleaching to include “skin cancer” (35%) and “skin damage” (25%). These were the key findings from the Skin Bleaching Snap Poll conducted in the week ofFebruary 3rd 2014. Brief Background Skin bleaching is the lightening of the skin through the use of chemical products. People of all ages, races, complexions, and social class participate in this global practice regardless of gender or level of education. Nigerian is experiencing epidemic numbers related to skin lightening. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates 77% of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products being the highest in the world. [[1]] Asians are facing a similar trend as 4 out of 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan use a skin-whitening cream.[[2]] In some of the parts of the world, it is believed that light and pale skinned people portray beauty, richness and success as well. In some parts, dark complexioned people are considered to be below standard and so people opt for skin whitening or bleaching creams, pills and other chemical products. Ironically, while some dark-skinned people want to lighten their complexion, many fair-skinned people go to great length to get a deep tan. Hence, the world health Organization recommends strengthening the message of contentment with natural skin colour.[[3]] Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its recent poll on skin bleaching to seek the views of Nigerians regarding the predominance, possible reasons and the negative effects of skin bleaching. Respondents to the poll were asked six specific questions. The first question sought the opinions of Nigerians regarding skin colour attraction. Respondents were asked: Do you agree or disagree that light-skinned people are more attractive than dark-skinned people? Findings revealed that the overall majority (55%; 35%+20%) disagree that light-skinned people are more attractive than dark-skinned people. Furthermore, 32% (17%+15%) of the respondents are in agreement with this assertion, while 13% are neutral since they neither agree nor disagree. When the results are analysed according to geo-political zones, the North-East zone accounted for the highest proportion of respondents (64%; 44%+20%) that disagree to the statement. This is followed by the South-East and the South-South with 58% (30%+28%) and 56% (38%+18%)respectively. In addition, The North-West zone had the highest number of respondents (20%)that were neutral and the North-Central zone accounted for the highest proportion of respondents (38%) that agree with the assertion. Furthermore, in order to understand how predominant skin bleaching is in Nigeria, respondents were asked: In your opinion, how predominant is skin bleaching in Nigeria? Overall, majority (64%) of respondents are of the opinion that skin bleaching is highly predominant, 31%of the respondents say it is somewhat predominant, while 5% claim it’s not predominant at all. Overall, 96% of respondents acknowledge the predominance of skin bleaching in Nigeria (64% + 31%). Further analysis by geo-political zones shows that the North-East zone (76%) had the highest proportion of respondents that affirm that it is highly predominant. In addition, the South-Westzone (47%) had the highest proportion of respondents that state skin bleaching is somewhat predominant while the South-South zone 9% had the highest proportion of respondents that say it is not predominant at all. Similarly, more female respondents acknowledge the high predominance of skin bleaching (69%) more than male respondents (58%). To ascertain the group of individuals amongst who skin bleaching is mostly predominant, respondents were asked: Amongst what group of individuals do you think skin bleaching is mostly predominant? The findings on the predominance of skin bleaching based on gender points out that majority of Nigerians (97%) irrespective of geo-political zones attest that skin bleaching is mostly predominant amongst the female Nigerians while only 3% of respondents affirm that it is mostly predominant amongst male Nigerians. Analysis on the predominance of skin bleaching amongst different age groups shows that 48% of Nigerians believe skin bleaching is mostly predominant amongst Nigerians within the age group of 18–25 years; this is followed by 43% of the respondents who say it is most common among those aged between 25-40 years. Furthermore, while 5% attribute it to those below 18 years, 4% say it is mostly common amongst Nigerians aged between 41-60 years. From the geo-political zone perspective, the North-West zone (68%) had the highest percentage of respondents that attribute skin bleaching to Nigerians between the age group of 18-25 years. In addition, the South-South zone (58%) accounted for the highest proportion of Nigerians that attribute skin bleaching to those aged 26-40 years while the North-East zone (19%) had the highest percentage of respondents that say it is predominant amongst Nigerians below 18 years. The fourth question sought the views of Nigerians regarding the hazards associated with skin bleaching. Respondents were asked: Are you aware there are negative effects of skin bleaching? In response to this question, the overall majority (83%) acknowledge that there are negative effects associated with skin bleaching. Comparatively, only 17% of the respondents claim there are no negative effects to skin bleaching. From the geo-political zones standpoint, the North-Central and North-East zones (88% each)had the highest proportions of respondents that confirm there are negative effects to skin bleaching. This is followed by the North-West zone with 87% and the South-East zone with75%. In addition, the North-East zone accounted for the highest number of respondents (21%)that say there are no negative effects associated with skin bleaching. Subsequently, in order to ascertain the thoughts of Nigerians regarding the negative effects of skin bleaching, respondents were asked: In your opinion, what are the negative effects associated with skin bleaching? Overall, the majority (35%) identified “skin cancer” as the negative effect skin bleaching; followed by 25% who indicated “skin damage”. Furthermore, other negative effects of skin bleaching identified by respondents include: “skin wrinkling” 7%; “skin irritation/rashes” 7%; “skin discoloration” 6%; “hindrance to medical treatment” 5%; “body odor” 5%; “skin infection/diseases” 4%; and “skin tinning” 4% and “skin aging” 2% From the geo-political zones perspective, the South-West zone (42%) had the highest proportion of respondents that believe it is associated with skin cancer and the North-West zones had the highest (42%) proportion of Nigerians who indicated skin damage. Also, the South-West zone (14%) represented the majority of respondents that say “skin wrinkling”. Finally, in order to seek public opinion on why people engage in skin lightening despite its effect, respondents were asked: Why do people still engage in skin bleaching despite its negative effects? Overall, the majority (35%) suggest that despite the negative effects of skin bleaching people engage in skin bleaching because they want “to look beautiful”; followed by the need “to look attractive for the opposite sex” 32%. Other negative causes identified include: “ignorance of the side effects” 20%; “to be fashionable” 8% and “inferiority complex” 4%. Analysis based on geo-political zone reveals that the North-Central zone (43%) has the highest proportion of Nigerians that indicated “to look beautiful”; while the North-East zone(45%) accounts for the highest proportion of respondents that indicated “to look attractive” as reasons why people engage In skin bleaching despite its negative effects. In addition, the highest proportion of respondents that say “ignorance of the side effects” was from the South-West zone with 27%. In addition, it was observed that more female respondents (40%) identified the need to look beautiful; while more male respondents (33%) identified the need to look attractive to the opposite sex, as the reason why people still engage in skin bleaching. In conclusion, the findings from this current poll have revealed that 64% of Nigerians are of the opinion that skin bleaching has become highly predominant in country, especially amongst Nigerian females (97%). The poll further revealed that despite the negative effects of skin bleaching, people still engage in the practice of skin bleaching because they want to “look beautiful” (35%) and to “look attractive to the opposite sex” (32%). In addition, respondents identified some of the negative effects associated with skin bleaching to include “skin cancer”(35%) and “skin damage” (25%). Skin bleaching was also reported as being mostly predominant amongst Nigerians within the age groups of 18–25 years (48%) and 26-40 years (43%). Finally, public enlightenment championed by health campaigners may be a key to highlighting the negative effects of skin bleaching and re-orientating the public about contentment with their natural skin colour; particularly amongst youths of between ages 18 – 25 years, campaigns across tertiary institutions may be organised. However, we do understand that for some Nigerians, the perceived benefits of beauty and attraction may outweigh the actual risks of skin bleaching, thus supporting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which highlights that certain attitudes are motivated by the need “to belong”, gain self-esteem and confidence in the society. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in February 3rd to 5th 2014. 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 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa, which works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to 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] World Health Organization [2] www.selflove.zoomshare.com [3]www.savehealthylivingtips.blogspot.com

Abuja, Nigeria. February 2nd, 2016 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls in partnership with EpiAfric to seek the perception of Nigerians regarding the awareness, mode of transmission, symptoms and preventive measures of Lassa fever revealed that there is a very high level of awareness of the Lassa fever disease amongst Nigerians (81 percent). This is derived mostly through television (46 percent) and radio (39 percent). Awareness is highest in the North-East zone of the country (89 percent), where the disease was first observed in the 1960s and where the current outbreak appears to have started. Rat infected food stuff is commonly believed to be the main mode of transmission (93 percent); while very few people mentioned the role of person-to-person transmission. People identified fever (63 percent), mucosal bleeding (37 percent), vomitting (33 percent) and headache (12 percent) to be the symptoms of the disease. Majority of the respondents indicated that they were willing to go to a public hospital for health care if affected by the disease (92 percent). Most also indicated that they will ensure that their environment is clean (40 percent), as their primary strategy to avoid being affected by the virus. A higher percentage of Nigerians expressed their confidence in their local hospital’s capacity to manage cases of Lassa Fever (70 percent) and most respondents were confident that the Ministry of Health was carrying out enough sentisization about the disease (83 percent). These were the key findings from the recently conducted public opinion poll on the Health Sector in the week commencing January 25th 2016. For full report please click here Brief Background Lassa fever is a severe and sometimes deadly disease, caused by the Lassa fever virus. It has been diagnosed in patients predominantly in West Africa. It is also known as Lassa Hemorrhagic Fever (LHF) although very few patients actually present with hemorrhagia (bleeding). Because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and nonspecific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult.Outbreaks are initiated when a human is infected by an infected rodent. Research has shown that it is more prevalent during the dry season. Lassa fever was first discovered originally in 1969 in Lassa, a remote village in Borno State, Nigeria and since then, there have been numerous outbreaks across West Africa. Another outbreak started in August 2015 in Nigeria; it has spread to 17 States with a total record of 78 deaths (at the time of writing this report). The Federal Ministry of Health says it is doing everything possible to defeat the deadly Lassa fever, just like it did during the outbreak of Ebola virus. It, however, urged residents to be on red alert by embracing personal and environmental hygiene. Given this background, NOIPolls in partnership with EpiAfric conducted a new opinion poll to assess the perception of Nigerians on the awareness, mode of transmission, and symptoms of Lassa Fever, as well as to ascertain their awareness on possible preventive measures of the disease. Key Findings The level of awareness on the outbreak of the ‘Lassa fever’ was assessed and survey results revealed that a large proportion of respondents (81 percent) acknowledged that they are aware of the recent outbreak of the disease. This can be attributed to the intensive awareness campaign embarked upon by the Federal Government through Federal Ministries of Health and Information as well as various state governments in sensitizing Nigerians on the outbreak of the disease. This survey also sought to evaluate the knowledge of the respondents on the mode of transmission of the disease. When asked about how Lassa fever is transmitted (with multiple responses), 93 percent of Nigerians mentioned ‘rat infected food stuff’ as the main mode of transmission and this response cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age groups. Ten percent of respondents indicated that lassa fever virus is transmitted by ‘eating bush meat’ (10 percent) and ‘contact with the infected persons’. Human-to-human transmission which happens in both community and health-care locations, where the infection is spread by contact with the body fluids from a person carrying the virus, contaminated medical equipment, etc was hardly mentioned by respondents. In this outbreak, given the widespread nature of cases, and the high number of health care workers infected, human-to-human is the most likely dominat mode of transmission. It is important to be aware of the early symptoms exhibited by a person suffering from Lassa fever disease. Respondents who claimed to be aware of the outbreak of the Lassa fever were probed further to ascertain their knowledge on the symptoms displayed by the Lassa fever patients. The largest percentage of the respondents (63 percent) stated that ‘fever’ is one of the symptoms of this disease. Thirty percent asserted that ‘mucosal bleeding’ is also one of the symptoms and other symptoms mentioned by the respondents, while 33% mentioned Vomiting, 12% Headache, 11% Diarrhea and 10% Facial swelling. Subsequently, respondents’ level of confidence regarding the ability of hospitals in their locality to manage the outbreak of the disease was assessed. A large proportion of Nigerians (70 percent) disclosed that they are ‘confident’ that their local hospitals could manage cases of Lassa Fever. Residents from the North-East, North-West and South-West zones accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who are confident. This survey has shown that most Nigerians are aware of the Lassa Fever disease as well as acknowledging that the Ministry of Health is carrying out adequate sensitization. However, the role of person-to-person spread of the virus, especially in outbreak situations is under-appreciated. Also, almost no one mentioned the role of infection control in prevention. Respondents are somewhat unsure of the preventive measures and the symptoms since it is often misdiagnosed at an early stage as malaria and other feverish conditions. However, it is important to note that it is almost impossible to differentiate from malaria, therefore the most appropriate response to fever is to get a diagnosis for malaria, and not indulge in self-medication. Survey Methods Results are based on telephone interviews of a proportionate random nationwide sample, and conducted in the week commencing 25th of January 2016. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians adults aged 18 years and above, across the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed and the Interviews were conducted in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages. 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 3% margin of error. The margin of error reflects influence of data weighting. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties associated with conducting telephone surveys (particularly in Nigeria) can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls. For full report please click here NOIPolls Limited, 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. EpiAFRIC;an Abuja based public health consulting firm, is an advisory, research and capacity development organization set up to drive quality improvement in the health sector through an innovative, efficient, transparent and financially sustainable; creating an ecosystem of services for clients in the health sector. More information is available at www.epiafric.com. Disclaimer This report has been produced by NOIPolls Limited in collaboration with EpiAFRIC to provide information on Ebola Virus disease in Nigerians. NOIPolls and EpiAFRIC hereby certify that all the ideas expressed in this document accurately reflect the answers provided by the respondents surveyed for the poll. Background information is based on information from various sources. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, it cannot be guaranteed that this report does not contain any errors. 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 current findings and/or thinking of NOIPolls and EpiAFRIC. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com

Abuja, Nigeria. March 14th, 2017 – Latest public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has affirmed the importance of girl child education to the society, with 99 percent of respondents acknowleging its importance. However, the poll has highlighted the role of poverty (28 percent), culture (20 percent), parental illiteracy (18 percent) and child marriage (15 percent) as major factors militating against girl child education in the country. Inspite of the general consensus on the importance of girl child education to communities, the girl child still suffers neglect and deprivation of basic education, usually sacrificing her chances to the boy child. This is because when it boils down to choosing who to empower educationally amidst scarce resources, many families often consider sending the boy child to school ahead of the girl child, mainly due to the perception that he would be more resilient and work hard to set his family free from poverty. More findings from the poll indicated that a significant proportion of Nigerians (63 percent) were of the opinion that boys and girls be given equal access to education at all levels, because they both have equal rights. Although 18 percent still considered educating girls ahead of boys, because they believe girls are homely, and when a girl is educated, it translates to the education of an entire community; however, 19 percent still think boys should have priority over girls in accessing education because they believe boys will grow to become the head of the household. These persistent inequalities in education cripple the lives of several women and girls in terms of deprivation, vulnerability, poverty, and exploitation. Therefore, the society must not falter in educating girls to the same level as boys as an educated female population increases a country’s productivity and fuels economic growth. Furthermore, in order to foster the girl child participation in education in Nigeria, 30 percent of the respondents suggested mass public sensitization on the dire need to educate the girl child vis-a-vis its importance. Parental literacy was also advised by 25 percent as they believe that if a parent is enlightened, there is an equal chance that the child, either a boy or a girl, would also be educated. Finally, as poverty has been cited as one of the major reason for less participation of the girl child in education, government at all levels should do more to harmonise the policies that would create more job opportunities to eradicate poverty or reduce it to the barest minimum, while also partnering with develpment agencies and the private sector to build more girls’ community schools and provide affordable/free education. These are some of the key findings from the Girl Child Education poll conducted in the week commencing February 27th, 2017. Brief Background Education not only trains the mind and forms the character of every individual; it also equips us with skills that are vital to our very existence. Education in itself is capable of setting the mind free from oppression by way of eradicating the darkness of ignorance and giving direction to the human existence and it is a key to success. It is also one of the most important, out of the 17 Sustainable Developmental Goals of the United Nation is education, aimed to be achieved by 2030, and it is premised on ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promotes lifelong learning.[1] There are a lot of human right instruments that provide for education as a fundamental right, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the of 10th of December, 1948, at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris.[2] In the actual sense, both genders should have equal rights to education and skills acquisition but the females have been deprived of this right due to growing inequalities. According to a report by the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in sub-Saharan Africa, a girl would have been married off at a tender age before she would be aware of how to take good care of herself and her unborn babies; hence, we have babies dying before they are five because they were born to mothers who were children without basic education.[3] The reason why early marriages thrive could be attributed to the parents’ lack which prompts most poor families to shift the load or responsibilities by marrying off their girl child who, at most times, is barely of marriageable age to enable them take care of the rest of their children. A girl child could be doomed to be an illiterate forever if her husband does not give her opportunity to go to school after the wedding. A girl who is uneducated is placed at higher risk due to her ignorance, lack of skills, information and confidence that could have made her a better person overall, availed to various opportunities as her educated peers. When a girl child is educated, a potential mother would have been educated, who will also educate her children and thus the society at large. It would turn out to be that there will be a future assured with better heath, less infant diseases and deaths plus all other Sustainable Development Goals could be achieved in a possible manner. But so many factors have been militating against girl child education in our society from the colonial era where it was imposed in the heart of the African man that he is rather superior to the woman. In the light of the above and in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, NOIPolls conducted this survey to ascertain the level of importance attached to the Girl Child Education in Nigeria, its priority and the factors militating against it as well as suggestions on how to promote it. Survey Findings The girl child needs to be educated in order to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills needed to advance her status for social interactions and self-improvement. Girl child education enables the girl utilize her full potentials, broadens her mind, prepares her for the challenges of life and teaches her how to conquer them; she is given the confidence to discover who and what she wants to be. With education, she would break the shell of ignorance and open that of self-discovery. In support of these statements, the poll results revealed that almost all adult Nigerians (99 percent) surveyed, irrespective of age, sex and tribe agree that girl child education is important in their community. In gauging the opinions of Nigerians in terms of boys and girls accessing education, findings from the poll revealed that most Nigerians (63 percent) believed that both boys and girls should be given equal opportunity in accessing education. Residents from the South-East zone (86 percent) and South-South zone (85 percent) formed the largest proportion of Nigerians in this category. On the other hand, residents from the North-East (32 percent) and North-West (42 percent) zones had the lowest representation of respondents that agreed that both genders should have the same privilege in accessing education. This could also be motivated by the memories and horrors of over 234 girls kidnapped from their hostel in Chibok by terrorists in April 2014. According to a study by UNESCO, school children in Nigeria, particularly those in the Northern region, are at a disadvantage in their education, with 37 percent of primary-age girls in the rural North-East not attending school and 30 percent of boys not attending school.[4] Furthermore, 19 percent of the respondents opined that boys should be prioritized in accessing education. There are more males (25 percent) than females (13 percent) that approved of this with the largest proportion of respondents from the North-West zone (33 percent). Also, 18 percent stated that girls should be given more priority in getting education over boys. Majority of the respondents in this category are residents from the North-East zone with 39 percent representation. During the course of this survey, most respondents disclosed that women are underrepresented in some scientific and technological disciplines especially in the area of Medicine and Surgery. A lot of them mentioned that they would rather a female doctor take child delivery at hospitals, than a male doctor or nurse. Subsequently, the survey further probed for reasons from each segment of the respondents on their choice of the gender they felt should be given priority in accessing educated. The poll results showed that most of the respondents who believe that girls should be given priority over boys in accessing education did so because they feel that girls are more homely (54 percent). Also, 29 percent believed that when you educate a girl, you would have educated an entire community and this is true because educated women can make informed choices, thereby improving the lives of their families and communities while also promoting the health and welfare of the next generation. Other reasons mentioned include, ‘girls tend to be more focused’ (7 percent), ‘educated girls are respected’ (6 percent) and that ‘boys are not superior’ (4 percent). On the other hand, the major reason given by 79 percent of those who believe that boys should be given top priority was that boys will grow to be the head of their households someday, hence, claiming that they need all the education they can get to steer the households in the right direction which translates to a better society and Nigeria at large. More reasons given, among others, were that ‘boys are more proactive’ (9 percent) and that ‘educated girls still ends up as housewives’ (7 percent). In the same manner, respondents who disclosed their support for both boys and girls to have an equal share of education cited ‘they both have equal rights’ (47 percent), ‘every child has the right to good education’ (19 percent), ‘both male and female are important in the society’ (17 percent) and that ‘they both have potential’ (16 percent), among others. Furthermore, the poll sought the opinion of Nigerians on the factors militating against girl child education in Nigeria and 28 percent (which formed majority in this category) mentioned poverty as the cuase, which is also one of the most disturbing economic issues ravaging the entire sub-Saharan Africa. With about 67 percent of Nigerians living in poverty[5], parents will be faced with challenges of making a choice to sacrifice the education of some of their children for the education of the one (usually the boy child) that is perceived to have the capability to liberate the family from poverty. Another social problem mentioned by 20 percent is the one posed by culture and tradition. Some traditions, especially in this part of the world, are that a woman’s place is in her husband’s kitchen and her primary role centres on her home. These beliefs have kept many girls away from education as such families’ see investment in girl child education as a waste. Even after some girls narrowly get the education, they face social and cultural barriers to obtaining leadership and management functions because they are women. In addition, parental literacy was cited by 18 percent of the respondents, with most of these responses from the North-West zone (23 percent). This is another social problem that has been limiting the girl child’s access to education because an illiterate parent would place less value on education thus making the girl child bear the burden of deprivation. Another social issue referred to by 15 percent of the respondents is child marriage. The Child’s Rights Act of 2003 prohibits child marriages and betrothals and section 21 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria outlaws any marriage contracted by anyone less than 18 years old considers it invalid. Yet, in some part of the country, whenever a girl attains the ages of 12-14, she has come of a marriageable age. This is one of the reasons why basic education is very essential. Other factors mentioned to have been militating against the Girl Child education are ‘gender discrimination’ (9 percent), ‘religion’ (4 percent), ‘ignorance and illiteracy’ (3 percent) among other mentions. Lastly, the views of Nigerians were assessed on suggestions to promote girl child education in Nigeria and 30 percent advocated for a general public sensitization on the importance of girl child education. Another proportion (25 percent) recommended that parents should be enlightened more on the importance of education. Owing to poverty been highlighted as one of the most important factors militating against girl child education in Nigeria, 24 percent have called upon the stakeholders to promote free education with a special focus on girls. Also, 5 percent suggested that more girls’ community schools be built and made affordable (4 percent), while 3 percent advised that poverty should be eradicated by creating more job opportunities so that parents can have enough resources to cater for their children’s education among other reasonable suggestions. In conclusion, the poll has shown that majority of Nigerians (99 percent) believe that girl child education is important to them and their communities. Out of this fraction, 63 percent have advocated for equal proportions of boys and girls to be enrolled in school hence, stakeholders in the education sector must gear up and demand for stronger legislation and policies for protection and inclusion of the girl child in education. Equality exists when women and men have access to quality education, resources and productive work in all domains, and when they are able to share power and knowledge on this basis. Though 18 percent stated that girls should be given priority in accessing education over boys, 19 percent also felt that boys should have more priority in accessing education as most respondents (79 percent) perceived that boys would grow to be the head of the house. Therefore, the Federal, State and Local governments must do far more for girls’ right to education in the area of legislation. This will go a long way to bolster girls’ capacities and create conditions for the fulfilment of their aspirations. Finally, 28 percent has named poverty as one of the major reason the girl child is deprived of quality education while 20 percent blamed it on culture and tradition. As a result, the government and other stakeholders must work harder at creating more job opportunities to eliminate poverty and also make investment in girls and women’s education a national priority. This will also assist in eliminating the historical gender gap in formal knowledge and skills acquisition and do a lot more to sensitize the citizens about the importance of girl child education as suggested by 30 percent of the respondents. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing February 27th, 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geo-political 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 3%. 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] http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/ [2] http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ [3] http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/06/unicef-report-growing-inequalities-threaten-most-disadvantaged-kids/ [4] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/fight-girl-child-education-north-must-continue/ [5] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/poverty-112m-nigerians-live-poverty-line/