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- Hunger and starvation in parts of North-East Nigeria – With women and children mostly affected
Abuja, Nigeria. February 16th, 2016 –NOIPolls Limited recently conducted a special public opinion poll on Nigerians residing within the North-East geo-political zone of the country (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states). The poll sought to contribute to the discourse on the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and specifically sought the opinions of Nigerians on the prevalence of hunger and starvation in parts of North-Eastern Nigeria. The poll also identified specific communities and towns considered most vulnerable to hunger and starvation. Key findings from the poll revealed that a significant proportion of respondents, at least 7 in 10 (73 percent), residing within the North-East region, acknowledged the prevalence of hunger and starvation in parts of the region, with women and children under 5 years being the most affected. Further findings revealed that although 56 percent of respondents claimed they eat up to three time a day, a significant proportion (27 percent) stated that they eat only two times in a day, with almost one in every ten respondent (9 percent) stating categorically that they eat only once in every 24 hours. Similarly, 56 percent of respondents revealed that they often have to ration their meals or restrict adult consumption in order to enable the children feed adequately; with 26 percent having to rely on family and friends for sustenance. Furthermore, when probed on the capacity of their incomes to meet their monthly food need, about 1 in 4 respondents (25 percent) stated that their income does not meet up with their food needs, but they just have to manage the little they have. Finally, respondents were able to identify towns, communities and local government areas in the North-East zone which in their opinion are worst hit by high prevalence of hunger and starvation. In particular, respondents identified some towns and communities considered the worst hit areas such as: Itas-Gadau, Alkaleri, Kirfi, Pali and Mansuru in Bauchi state; Bama, Askira-Uba, Lassa, Chibok and Konduga in Borno state; Kumi, Ardo-Kola, Zing, Ibi and Lau in Taraba state; Gulani, Gujba, Yunusari, Jakusko and Tarmuwa in Yobe state; Dukku, Kaltungo, Jamari, Nafada and Laro in Gombe; and Mubi, Wurobokki, Musathaka and Tashala in Adamawa state. These are the key findings from the poll on Hunger in North-East Nigeriaconducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing February 1st 2016. Click here for full report Brief Background A 2015 report by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) approximated the number of people around the world unable to obtain enough food to live healthy and productive lives at 795 million out of 7.6 billion people on earth between the years, 2014-2016.[1] Asia is the continent with the world’s hungriest people. Hunger is synonymous with undernourishment which means that a person is not able to acquire enough food to meet the daily minimum dietary energy requirements, over a period of one year. Similarly, starvation refers to a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake needed to maintain human life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition which can result from hunger. Nigeria is currently ranked 14th with the score of 32.2 percent (where 0 is low and 100 is extremely high) in the 2015 World Global hunger index (GHI). However, Nigeria has been reducing hunger since 1990 as the country has moved from ‘extremely alarming’ in 1990 to ‘serious’ in 2015 in the global hunger categories.[2] The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria has increased exponentially especially in the North-East due to insurgency, and this has further fuelled the spread of hunger and starvation. Current reports state that Nigeria has the highest number of IDPs on the continent, with estimates of over 3 million IDPs in the country[3]. According to a report on Daily Independent Newspaper “there is a proven link and interaction between food insecurity, conflict, refugees, internally-displaced persons (IDPs). A failed or failing state means many African countries remain on the brink of disaster”. By the end of 2014, global conflicts had forced almost 60 million people to abandon their homes as revealed in the 2015 MDGs report. Nigeria has experienced its own fair share with the number of IDPs currently estimated at over 3 million citizens. In the light of the above, NOIPolls conducted a special public opinion poll on hunger and starvation in North-East Nigeria in order to contribute to the discourse on the plight of IDPs and seek the opinions & perception of Nigerians residing in the North East zone on the effects of hunger, its prevalence and communities considered most vulnerable within the region. Survey Findings A report from the World Bank on global consumption of goods and services revealed that food and beverages (56.81 percent) accounted for the items Nigerians spend more of their household income on[4]. However, few Nigerians have access to safe and nutritionally adequate food in view of global food security standards. In determining the frequency of food consumption per day in the North East zone, majority of the respondents (64 percent) stated that they eat 3 times daily, with respondents in Bauchi and Yobe (65 percent each) states having the highest response in this category. Also, respondents from Borno (13 percent), Taraba (12 percent) and Adamawa (11 percent) states represented the lowest daily food consumption rates in the North East implying that Borno state has the highest incidence of hunger in the North East zone of Nigeria. Analysis by age-group revealed that respondents between 18 – 25 years (63 percent) accounted for the largest proportion of respondents who eat 3 times daily and this could be attributed to the older respondents rationing their food for the younger ones. According to the 2014 Africa Multiple Indicator Scorecard on Hunger and Food Security, Nigeria has the highest number of hungry people in West Africa, with about 12.1 million people who are hungry or under nourished in the country. News reports also disclosed that the deepening humanitarian crisis in North-Eastern Nigeria has led to the displacement of over 1.5 million people, and causing about 4 million people to experience acute food insecurity and are in need of humanitarian assistance.[5] Our findings corroborate these reports as 73 percent of residents from this region affirmed that there is a prevalence of hunger and starvation in some communities and towns in the North-East zone. Residents from Borno state (85 percent) accounted for the largest proportion of respondents who affirmed this statement. On the contrary, 27 percent responded negatively to this and Bauchi state residents with 42 percent represent the highest number of respondents in this category. Similarly, respondents who admitted that there is prevalence of hunger in the North-East region also identified some of the communities and towns suffering from the prevalence of hunger as follows: Itas-Gadau in Bauchi state (2.9 percent), Bama in Borno state (2.6 percent) and Kumi in Taraba state (2.3 percent) topped the list of these communities and towns amongst others. However other towns and communities include: Alkaleri, Kirfi, Pali and Mansuru in Bauchi state; Askira-Uba, Lassa, Chibok and Konduga in Borno state; Ardo-Kola, Zing, Ibi and Lau in Taraba state; Gulani, Gujba, Yunusari, Jakusko and Tarmuwa in Yobe state; Dukku, Kaltungo, Jamari, Nafada and Laro in Gombe; and Mubi, Wurobokki, Musathaka and Tashala in Adamawa state. In summary, this public opinion poll has been able to provide some empirical evidence on the prevalence of hunger and starvation in parts of North-East Nigeria, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Key findings from the poll has revealed that more than 7 in 10 residents (73 percent) of the North-East region acknowledge the prevalence of hunger and starvation in the region, with women and children under 5 years being the most affected. The poll further revealed that 27 percent of respondents eat only two times daily, with almost one in every ten respondent (9 percent) stating categorically that they eat only once in a day. In addition, 56 percent of respondents polled confirmed that they often have to ration their meals and restrict adult consumption in their households in order to enable the children feed adequately; with 26 percent having to rely on family and friends for sustenance. Also, the income of about 1 in 4 respondents (25 percent) does not meet up with the food needs of residents; but given the situation at hand, they just have to make do with little. Given the ongoing attacks on civilians in the North-East region, conditions for safe return to their homes are still at a slow pace, besides many of their towns and villages have been ravaged in the attacks. Therefore, organisations such as NEMA, SEMA and International development organisations & NGOs like the World Food Programme (WFP) and Action Against Hunger (ACH) are encouraged to design their intervention programmes & operations around critical humanitarian needs like treatment for severe acute hunger and malnutrition cases, food aid, shelter, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene to Nigerians living in both the formal IDP camps and informal camps (which have been said to hold for more IDPs than the formal government approved camps). Finally, this report has identified specific communities, towns and local governments where hunger and starvation are pervasive in the North-East region of Nigeria. We therefore expect that governments at both federal and state levels, as well as local and international humanitarian organisations find this information as “low hanging fruits”, useful for targeting intervention programmes geared towards the eradication of hunger. Click here for full report Survey Methods This public opinion poll was conducted through telephone interviews. A proportionate randomly selected sample of 1,000 phone-owning Nigerians, residents in the North-East geo-political zone, 18 years and above, were interviewed across the six states in the region (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states). This sample size provides a 95 percent confidence interval that the results obtained are within a range of plus or minus 3.0 percent of the opinions of the population. This means that if the survey is conducted 100 times using the exact same procedures, the margin of error would include the true value in 95 out of 100 surveys. The interviews were conducted mainly in Hausa, Pidgin English and English. The use of these languages reduce the likelihood of a non-response bias. 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.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm [2]http://www.ifpri.org/publication/2015-global-hunger-index-armed-conflict-and-challenge-hunger [3] https://www.naij.com/66928.html [4]http://datatopics.worldbank.org/consumption/country/Nigeria [5] http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/02/nigeria-country-of-hungry-people/
- Most Cases of Human Rights Violation in Nigeria Go Unreported
Abuja, Nigeria. November 2nd, 2016 – Latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls Limited has revealed that most victims (76 percent) of human rights violation in Nigeria do not report incidents of violations committed against them. As such, these rights are frequently violated and these situations remain overlooked. To address human rights infractions, the constitution empowers “any person who alleges any infraction “in relation to him” to apply to the High Court for redress. However, during the course of this survey, respondents disclosed that they do not report such cases due to lack of trust in the judicial system and law enforcement agencies. Further findings also showed freedom of movement as the highest mentioned human right enjoyed by Nigerians with (57 percent), other rights cited include right to life (39 percent), right to peaceful assembly and association (26 percent), right to freedom of expression and the press (22 percent), amongst others. In addition, the poll revealed the Nigerian Police as the biggest culprits of human rights violation as attested by 30 percent of the (50 percent) respondents who had personally experienced or know someone who has been the victim of human rights violation. This is further corroborated by the Amnesty International Report of 2015 that over a period of three years, almost 1 billion naira (US$5 million) has been paid out as compensation to victims of human rights violations by the Nigerian police.[1] Like every other law enforcement body in the world, the Nigerian Police has been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties, but in performing these duties, many have been accused of human rights violation, ranging from extorting motorists who end up losing their lives on some occasions, to arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions. Therefore, violators should be diligently prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, this could be achieved rapidly by putting modalities in place for the proper enforcement of the laws that ensure that human rights are protected and promoted. These were some of the key findings from the Human Right Snap Poll conducted in the week of October 24th, 2016. Brief Background Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms such as right to life, liberty, freedom of thought and expression and equal treatment before the law, among others, which all humans should enjoy unhindered.The United Nations in 1987 described human rights as those rights without which we cannot function as human beings.[2] These rights are enshrined in chapter four of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 as amended. Although, in Nigeria, it is perceived that some citizens seems not to know about the country’s laws until certain circumstances compels them to, ignorance of the law is not an excuse. This perceived ignorance has led to citizens falling victim to frequent human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, etc. The Legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti once portrayed human rights idea in his 1989 ‘Beast of No Nation’ song as ‘human rights na my property, so therefore you can’t dash me my property’ meaning that human rights are inherent rights that belong to the people and cannot be handed down to them by anyone but rather to be freely enjoyed.[3] Several events have proven that most Nigerians really do not know their rights and those who do, are too scared to fight for it. Human rights violations and infractions, if not checked, could devalue a country’s cherished values and impair it’s diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. However, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made concerted efforts at enlightening Nigerian masses about their rights;[4] the effectiveness of every law lies in the hands of those authorities that are saddled with the responsibility of enforcing such laws as well as the masses abiding by it. The length of military rule is alleged to have contributed majorly to the factors that allowed human rights violations linger for so long, but the advent of democracy has tempered the situation to a certain degree and thus, more people and different organizations are getting actively involved in human rights issues and those who cannot get involved directly, speak out on social media frequently without fear of attack or stigmatization as the information bill protects them. In view of the above, NOIPolls conducted this survey to ascertain the awareness of Nigerians about their fundamental human rights, their perception about the rights they enjoy as citizens and if any has been violated as well as the action they took to seek redress. Survey Findings In gauging the level of human rights awareness in Nigeria, poll results revealed that most Nigerians (77 percent) are conscious of their rights as humans and as citizens of the country. This indicates that irrespective of ethnicity, religion or status in the society, an average Nigerian is aware of his or her rights as a human and citizen of Nigeria. On the other hand, 23 percent of the respondents showed total ignorance, claiming not to be aware that they had any form of rights. Of the 77 percent who are aware of their human rights, right to freedom of movement was the most cited (57 percent) by Nigerian citizens as the human right which they enjoyed. Other mentions include ‘right to life’ (39 percent) and the North-East geo-political zone (63 percent) had the highest percentage of respondents in this category. This is indicative of the role that both the government and other international non-governmental agencies have been playing in giving orientation and protection to citizens and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the region. Furthermore, the right to peaceful assembly (26 percent), right to freedom of expression and the press (22 percent), right to personal liberty (21 percent), right to vote and be voted for (21 percent), and right to private and family life (12 percent) were also mentioned amongst others. Result also revealed an even split of 50 percent on each side when respondents were queried to find out if their rights or that of anyone they know have ever been infringed upon. More male (60 percent) than female (40 percent) respondents answered yes and the South-South region presented with the highest affirmative in this category. An evaluation of the various rights of the citizens that have been violated revealed that the largest proportion (22 percent) claimed that their ‘right to dignity of human person’ had been trampled upon, while 21 percent asserted that their ‘right to freedom of movement’ had been violated in one way or another. In the same vein, ‘right to fair hearing’ was reported to have been infringed upon by 12 percent of the respondents, whereas 11 percent claimed that their ‘right to compensation for property compulsorily acquired’ was violated, among others. Subsequently, 30 percent of the respondents who indicated that their rights had been previously violated further revealed that ‘the police’ is mainly responsible for violating these rights and residents from the South-East zone accounted for the largest proportion of respondents in this category. This could be attributed to the reported Police brutality during one of the protests by members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).[5] In addition, respondents between 18 – 35 years have the highest number of Nigerians who asserted to this. 17 percent of the respondents stated that their rights have also been violated by government officials and the North-East geo-political zone had the highest (30 percent) representation. This could also be ascribed to the alleged socio-economic neglect and poor living conditions caused by the insurgency in those states[6]. Other mentions include security officials (12 percent) and employers (10 percent), among others. The poll sought to ascertain if these incidents were reported and results revealed that a staggering 76 percent of the respondents stated that they did not report the incident at all and this cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-groups. Implying that despite setting up various bodies to check the violations of the human rights laws in Nigeria, either by the government or NGOs’, the situation has not really improved, as a majority still fail to report cases of violation of their rights. In addition, 5 percent of the respondents claimed that they took to their family members to seek redress and another 5 percent reported to the Police. In conclusion, the poll results have shown that most (76 percent) victims of human rights violation do not report incidents of human rights violation, as in many cases, it involves perpetration by persons in the bodies which they are supposed to report the cases to. The report also revealed that almost 8 in 10 (77 percent) Nigerian mentioned that they are aware of their rights as citizens, freedom of movement (57 percent) and right to life (39 percent) are the top human rights mentioned by Nigerians. Furthermore, some of the respondents who claimed that their right to dignity of human person (22 percent) and right to freedom of movement (21 percent)) had been violated prior, reported that the Police ranked highest (30 percent) among the people who violated these rights followed by government officials (17 percent). Finally, there is a need for the sensitization of the citizenry on the fundamental human rights through seminars, academic work and books that portray such rights. Sensitization campaigns involving religious and traditional rulers, should at intervals be carried out to educate or enlighten their subjects on the existence of their rights and how to seek redress when such rights are violated. There should be a constant retraining and reorientation of the country’s law enforcement officers, across all cadres, on what constitutes human rights as part of efforts to protect the masses. Lastly, violators should be diligently prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others and this could be achieved rapidly by putting modalities in place for the proper enforcement of the laws that ensure that Human Rights are protected and promoted e.g. National Human Rights Act, 2010. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of October 24th 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] https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/africa/nigeria/report-nigeria/ [2] http://www.ohchr.org/en/ProfessionalInterest/pages/cat.aspx [3] https://felakuti.bandcamp.com/album/beasts-of-no-nation-1989 [4]http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/192551-80-per-cent-nigerians-must-know-their-rights-by-december-nhrc.html [5] http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/05/31/dozens-killed-several-injured-as-biafra-day-rallies-turn-bloody/ [6] http://leadership.ng/news/503231/borno-idps-decry-poor-living-condition-camp
- Most Cases of Human Rights Violation in Nigeria Go Unreported
Abuja Nigeria, December 13th 2016- In commemoration of the World Human Rights Day celebrated on the 10th of December, NOIPolls is releasing a throwback of polls results conducted on Human Rights. The World Day for Human Rights is annually observed on December 10th 2016 and It is a day set aside by the United Nations every year to commemorate the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a ground-breaking document which outlined the 30 fundamental rights that people are entitled to across the world. Ever since that auspicious day it has stood as the first major stride in ensuring that the rights of every human across the globe are protected. From the most basic human needs such as food, shelter, and water, all the way up to access to free and uncensored information, such has been the goals and ambitions laid out in that declaration. In view of the Human Rights Day commemoration, NOIPolls has released findings from its special report on human rights, assessing the awareness of Nigerians about their fundamental human rights, their perception about the rights they enjoy as citizens and if any has been violated as well as the action they took to seek redress for these violations. Findings from the poll revealed that most victims (76 percent) of human rights violation in Nigeria do not report incidents of violations committed against them. To address human rights infractions, the constitution empowers “any person who alleges any infraction “in relation to him” to apply to the High Court for redress. However, during the course of the survey, respondents disclosed that they do not report such cases due to lack of trust in the judicial system and law enforcement agencies. Further findings showed freedom of movement as the highest mentioned human right enjoyed by Nigerians with (57 percent), other rights cited include right to life (39 percent), right to peaceful assembly and association (26 percent), right to freedom of expression and the press (22 percent), amongst others. In addition, the poll revealed the Nigerian Police as the biggest culprits of human rights violation as attested by 30 percent of the (50 percent) respondents who had personally experienced or know someone who has been the victim of human rights violation. This is further corroborated by the Amnesty International Report of 2015 stating that over a period of three years, almost 1 billion naira (US$5 million) has been paid out as compensation to victims of human rights violations by the Nigerian police.[1] Like every other law enforcement body in the world, the Nigerian Police has been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties, but in performing these duties, many have been accused of human rights violation, ranging from extortion, to arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions. Therefore, violators should be diligently prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others, this could be achieved rapidly by putting modalities in place for the proper enforcement of the laws that ensure that human rights are protected and promoted. These were the key findings from the Civil Right Snap Poll conducted in the week of October 24th, 2016. Brief Background Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms such as right to life, liberty, freedom of thought and expression and equal treatment before the law, among others, which all humans should enjoy unhindered.The United Nations in 1987 described human rights as those rights without which we cannot function as human beings.[2] These rights are enshrined in chapter four of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 as amended. Although, in Nigeria, it is perceived that some citizens seem not to know about the country’s laws until certain circumstances compel them to. This perceived ignorance has led to citizens falling victim to frequent human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, etc. The Legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti once portrayed human rights idea in his 1989 ‘Beast of No Nation’ song as ‘human rights na my property, so therefore you can’t dash me my property’ meaning that human rights are inherent rights that belong to the people and cannot be handed down to them by anyone but rather to be freely enjoyed.[3] Several events have proven that most Nigerians really do not know their rights and those who do, are too scared to fight for it. Human rights violations and infractions, if not checked, could devalue a country’s cherished values and impair it’s diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. However, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made concerted efforts at enlightening Nigerian masses about their rights;[4] the effectiveness of every law lies in the hands of those authorities that are saddled with the responsibility of enforcing such laws as well as the masses abiding by it. The length of military rule is alleged to have contributed majorly to the factors that allowed human rights violations linger for so long, but the advent of democracy has tempered the situation to a certain degree and thus, more people and different organizations are getting actively involved in human rights issues and those who cannot get involved directly, speak out on social media frequently without fear of attack or stigmatization as the information bill protects them. In view of the above, NOIPolls conducted this survey to ascertain the awareness of Nigerians about their fundamental human rights, their perception about the rights they enjoy as citizens and if any has been violated as well as the action they took to seek redress. Survey Findings In gauging the level of civil rights awareness in Nigeria, poll results revealed that most Nigerians (77 percent) were conscious of their rights as humans and as citizens of the country. This indicated that irrespective of ethnicity, religion or status in the society, an average Nigerian is aware of his or her rights as a citizen. On the other hand, 23 percent of the respondents disclosed that they were not aware of their rights at all. Out of the 77 percent who were aware of their human rights, right to freedom of movement is the right most enjoyed by most Nigerians as (57 percent) of respondents mentioned it. Others mentioned include ‘right to life’ (39 percent) and the North-East geo-political zone (63 percent) had the highest percentage of respondents in this category. This is indicative of the role that both the government and other international non-governmental agencies have been playing in giving orientation and protection to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), as part of their rights as human beings. Other rights mentioned are right to peaceful assembly (26 percent), right to freedom of expression and the press (22 percent), right to personal liberty (21 percent), right to vote and be voted for (21 percent), right to private and family life (12 percent), amongst others. Results also revealed an even split of 50 percent on each side when respondents were queried if their rights or that of anyone they know had ever been infringed upon. More males (60 percent) than females (40 percent) answered yes and the South-South region presented with the highest affirmative in this category. An evaluation of the various rights of citizens that had been violated revealed that the largest proportion (22 percent) claimed that their ‘right to dignity of human person’ had been trampled upon while 21 percent asserted that their ‘right to freedom of movement’ had been violated in one way or another. In the same vein, ‘right to fair hearing’ was reported to have been infringed upon by 12 percent of the respondents, whereas 11 percent stated that their ‘right to compensation for property compulsorily acquired’ was violated, among others. Subsequently, 30 percent of the respondents who indicated that their rights had been previously violated further revealed that ‘the police’ are mainly responsible for violating their rights and residents from the South-East zone accounted for the largest proportion of respondents in this category. This could be attributed to the reported Police brutality during one of the protests by members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).[5] In addition, respondents between 18 – 35 years had the highest number of Nigerians who asserted to this. 17 percent of the respondents stated that their rights had also been violated by government officials and the North-East geo-political zone had the highest (30 percent) representation. This could also be ascribed to the alleged socio-economic neglect and poor living conditions caused by the insurgency in those states[6]. Others mentioned include security officials (12 percent) and employers (10 percent), among others. The poll ascertained if these incidents were reported and results revealed that a staggering 76 percent of the respondents stated that they did not report the incident at all and this cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-groups. Implying that despite setting up various bodies to check the violations of the human rights laws in Nigeria, either by the government or NGOs’, the situation had not really improved, as a majority still failed to report cases of violation of their rights. In addition, 5 percent of the respondents said that they took their family members to seek redress and another 5 percent reported to the Police. In conclusion, the poll results have showed that majority of Nigerians (76 percent) do not report incidents of human rights violation as they believed that these acts of violations were perpetrated by employees of organizations set up for seeking redress or gaining protection for these violations. The report also revealed that almost 8 in 10 (77 percent) mentioned that they are aware of their rights as citizens, freedom of movement (57 percent) and right to life (39 percent) are the top human rights mentioned by Nigerians. Furthermore, some of the respondents who stated that their right to dignity of human person (22 percent) and right to freedom of movement (21 percent)) had been violated prior, reported that the Police ranked highest (30 percent) among the people who violated these rights followed by government officials (17 percent). Finally, there is a need for the sensitization of children on the fundamental human rights through seminars, schoolwork and books that portray such rights. Sensitization campaigns, preferably by religious and traditional rulers, should at intervals be carried out to educate or enlighten their subjects on the existence of their rights and how to seek redress when such rights are violated. There should be a constant retraining and reorientation of the country’s law enforcement officers, across all cadres, on what constitutes human rights violations as part of the efforts to protect the masses. Lastly, violators should be diligently prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others and this could be achieved rapidly by putting modalities in place for the proper enforcement of the laws that ensure that Human Rights are protected and promoted e.g. National Human Rights Act, 2010. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of October 24th 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]https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/africa/nigeria/report-nigeria/ [2] http://www.ohchr.org/en/ProfessionalInterest/pages/cat.aspx [3] https://felakuti.bandcamp.com/album/beasts-of-no-nation-1989 [4]http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/192551-80-per-cent-nigerians-must-know-their-rights-by-december-nhrc.html [5] http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/05/31/dozens-killed-several-injured-as-biafra-day-rallies-turn-bloody/ [6] http://leadership.ng/news/503231/borno-idps-decry-poor-living-condition-camp
- May 2010 Snap Poll Views of Nigerians on Same-sex Relationships
Currently in Nigeria, sexual activity among same-sex is illegal and punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment. In the 12 Northern states which have adopted Shari’a law, homosexual activity is punishable by stoning and there is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation. In addition, legislation is pending to criminalize same-sex marriage throughout Nigeria. A survey conducted by NOI Polls shows that awareness of homosexual relationships amongst Nigerians is low, with over 7 in 10 saying ‘No” when asked ‘Are you aware of same sex/gay/homosexual relationships in your community? Nearly all (96%) of those quizzed also stated that they are not in support of homosexual relationships. The major reason offered for the lack of support of homosexual relationships is that they are ungodly (42%), an abomination (28%) and against our culture (8%). Survey Methods. Respondents for the snap poll were randomly selected from a database of phone-owning Nigerians aged 15 and above, compiled by NOI Polls. 1,207 people took part in the telephone interviews from the 27th and 30th of April, 2010. For a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2.82 percentage points. The margin of error reflects the influence of data weighting. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
- Low levels of Awareness and Attendance Characterize Creative Arts Events
Abuja, Nigeria. July 12th, 2016 – The United Kingdom’s creative industry is already one of its great strength and rapidly increasing in size and length with her creative size substantially adding to the UK’s economy. Also, the Nigerian Creative Industry have arguably been gaining popularity worldwide. Though Nollywood has become world famous, there are huge potentials in the Nigerian music, fashion and art, and Nigeria’s fast growing digital landscape is breaking down geographical barriers like never before. A survey commissioned by British Council and conducted by NOIPolls Limited in 2015 revealed a low level of awareness of creative sector events by Nigerians (45 percent), while attendance to such events was even lower (23 percent). The poll results further revealed that information through ‘word of mouth’ was very influential in encouraging audiences to attend creative sector events, as revealed by 50 percent of respondents who had attended a creative event after learning about the event through word-of-mouth or referrals. More findings from the survey revealed that majority of Nigerians (80 percent) watch movies and listen to music (88 percent); while showing more preference for Nollywood movies and Gospel music respectively. An assessment on the use of the internet revealed that over two-thirds (71 percent) of adult Nigerians in the target locations personally use the internet; of which most of the respondents use the internet for browsing (77 percent), social media (73 percent), and to check emails (52 percent). The most prevalent means of accessing the internet is through mobile phones (90 percent) and personal computers (40 percent); thus, digital platforms prove to be a viable means for advertising and creating awareness for events and organizations in the Creative Industry. Finally, the use of appropriate art work/displays in public spaces play an important role in adding social value to a community. About a third of adult Nigerians in the target locations; Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Calabar, disclosed that public spaces are used for creative sector, sports, and religious activities respectively. However, about 1 in 5 respondents disclosed that public spaces are not used for anything, while 1 in 2 respondents (47 percent) revealed that they would like to see more creative sector activities in public spaces in their neighborhoods. Excerpts of Findings from the creative sector events poll. When Nigerians in the target locations were asked if they had attended any creative sector event or program in recent times, only 23 percent acknowledged they had attended such events. The majority (77 percent) indicated they had not. Of the proportion who disclosed that they have attended a creative sector event, the majority (45 percent) acknowledged attendance to music events or shows. This was followed by those who had attended an event in Theatre (19 percent), Fashion (17 percent) and Film (16 percent). It is also worth noting that this was a multiple response question, meaning that respondents were allowed to select more than one option to the question. Interestingly, the larger share of Calabar residents (45 percent) revealed they had attended a carnival. This may be due to the Calabar Carnival dubbed “Africa’s biggest street party” which holds yearly every December in Calabar. In addition, at least one in two (50 percent) respondents who had attended an event or program claimed they heard of it through word-of-mouth, indicating that word-of-mouth was probably the most influential channel at the time through which Nigerians who had attended creative sector events heard of such events. Television and Radio were the next two most prevalent means by which people in the target location heard of events in the creative sector, with 37 percent and 20 percent of the population respectively. When respondents were asked if they watched films/movies, an overwhelming majority (80 percent) indicated they watched films/movies. However, when the results were analysed by age group, 66 percent of respondents aged 46-60, and 43 percent of respondents aged over 60 years of age acknowledged that they watch movies. Further analysis revealed that most respondents 68 percent in the target locations watch Nollywood movies, followed by 50 percent who mentioned that they watch Hollywood movies, 26 percent indicated they watch Kannywood movies, and 19 percent mentioned they watch Bollywood movies among others. Furthermore, respondents were asked if they listened to music and findings revealed that more than 8 in 10 respondents (88 percent) in the locations where the surveys were administered acknowledged that they listened to music. However, only 58 percent of respondents over 60 years of age indicated that they listen to music. When asked what kind of music they listened to, 58 percent of respondents mentioned Gospel, 37 percent indicated Hip Hop, 17 percent mentioned Rythmn and Blues, and 17 percent mentioned Tribal music among others. Analysis based on geopolitical zones revealed that while residents in Calabar, Lagos and Abuja have higher preference for gospel music, residents of Kano have a higher preference for ‘Tribal music’ (45 percent) In addition, when respondents living in the target locations were asked whether they personally use the internet, 71 percent of them acknowledged that they do. However, only 18 percent of respondents aged 61 and over indicated they personally use the internet. This was the lowest proportion across the age groups. Again, from the proportion who revealed they personally use the internet, 77 percent indicated they use it for browsing, 73 percent for social media, and 52 percent for emails. Browsing, Social media, and Emails were the three most prevalent reasons people cited for using the internet. To assess the level of knowledge on the use of public spaces, respondents were asked how public spaces were used in the neighborhood where they live and results revealed that the largest proportion (39 percent) indicated public spaces were used for creative sector activities. This was followed by 37 percent who mentioned sports, and 30 percent who indicated religious activity. In addition, 20 percent of respondents mentioned that public spaces in their neighborhoods are not used for anything. Respondents were further asked, “What kinds of events do you mostly attend in public spaces in your neighborhood?” 28 percent mentioned creative sector activities, followed by 24 percent who said religious activities. 24 percent of respondents disclosed they do not attend events in public spaces in their neighborhoods, while 19 percent indicated they attend sporting events among others events. When the population who indicated they do not attend events in public spaces in their neighborhoods was further analyzed, it was found that a larger proportion of females (30 percent) than males (18 percent) comprised the group. Also a significant proportion of 18-21 year olds (40 percent) and over 61 year olds (42 percent) indicated they do not attend event in public spaces in their neighborhoods. These were the largest proportions by age group. In conclusion survey results show that awareness of creative sector events is low, and attendance is even lower. Most Nigerians who eventually attend creative sector events learn about such events through word-of-mouth, therefore highlighting the importance of making awareness creating and advertising materials as personally engaging as possible to encourage increased referrals and subsequently attendance to creative sector events. Innovative avenues which provide more personal contact with potential audiences through their networks, increasing media adverts, free giveaways at events, etc. can also be explored to encourage attendance. Also advertising through social media proves to have a wide outreach especially among young adult Nigerians. This medium should also be better explored more as internet usage in Nigeria continues to grow. Lastly, some works produced locally such as Kannywood (Kano) and Yollywood (Yoruba) movies seem to be consumed more in the regions where they are produced. Measures of cultural cross-overs such as providing subtitles, using multi-lingual actors from other regions, etc. would increase the buy-in and interest of Nigerians from outside these regions, thus encouraging cultural cross-over. Survey Methods A total of 1,000 adult respondents were randomly selected from a pool of phone-owning Nigerians and interviewed over the telephone for this survey. The sample size was proportionately stratified by gender and age to represent the actual population distribution of residents in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Calabar. NOIPolls Limited is No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. Conducts periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noipolls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited and authorised for release by British Council on the NOIPolls media platform to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. The British Council was established in 1934 and has been in Nigeria since 1943. It currently operates from offices in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port-Harcourt and continues to engage in cultural relations work, building links between citizens of the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Its activities are delivered through Arts, Education, English and Society business units as well as a thriving exams unit providing opportunities for thousands of Nigeria to acquire globally recognised qualifications. 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] Art and Culture of Nigeria. http://www.123independenceday.com/nigeria/art-and-culture.html [2] Nigeria arts and culture tourism. Come to Nigeria. http://www.cometonigeria.com/investment-opportunities-in-nigeria/nigeria-arts-and-culture-tourism/ [3] A Brief History of Art. 2011. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/a-briefhistory-of-art/105081/
- Most Married Nigerians claim to be Happily Married
May 1, 2012. In a recent snap poll conducted by NOI Polls on Marriage, results have revealed that more than 9 in 10 married Nigerians say they are “happily married”. Specifically, 97% of the respondent chose yes to the question of whether they were happily married, while 1% each said they were either not happily married or that it Varies from day to day. The survey also sought to establish why Nigerians get married, and it was found that 6 in 10 Nigerians (60%) marry because of Love, while 16%, 9% and 6% of the respondents said they married for Social Reasons, Religious Reasons, and Economic Reasons, respectively. Furthermore, considering the rising incidents of conflicts in marriages, and the attendant cases of divorce in the society, the survey also sought to establish the main causes of conflicts in marriages. The results showed that 40% and 31% of the respondents believe that Financial Issues and the Lack of Communication, respectively, are the main causes of conflicts in marriages. Also 6% of the respondent chose Lack of Understanding and 3% interference from In-laws. Interestingly, only 2% each chose the presence or lack of children, Lack of Sex, Infidelity, and Lies & Distrust. 1% of the respondents also suggested that conflicts arise when Love no longer exists. In addition, when asked whether or not they would marry their spouses again if given the opportunity, 92% of respondents said Yes, while 4% said No. Relatedly, given the rising incidents of domestic violence, the survey also sought to understand the factors responsible for the recent increase in domestic abuse and violence reported in the media. First, the findings from the survey showed that while at least 1 in 10 respondents (13%) have been a victim of domestic violence in the past; also, 29% of respondents know someone who has been a victim of domestic abuse and violence. Finally, in response to the question of why there is increased domestic violence in the society, 6 in 10 Nigerians (60%) ascribed the recent increase in domestic violence to poverty. The respondents suggested that poverty has led many people into frustration and anger, and at the slightest provocation, people resort to violence as a means of expressing their frustration with their poor situation. Furthermore, 16% and 12% of the respondents were of the opinion that it was because Love no longer exists, and the growing Insensitivity, respectively. Interestingly, only 1% of the respondents ascribed the increase in domestic violence to Unemployment. Survey Methods Results are based on a nationwide telephone survey of 2,189 phone-owning adults, aged 18 and older, and conducted from the 16th – 20th April 2012. For results based on this sample size, we can say with 95% confidence that the margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. 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.
- Commemoration Of World Peace Day Calls For Reflection On The State Of Security And Restoration Of Pe
The 21st of September each year is observed around the World as International Day of Peace. The United Nations (UN) general assembly declared the need to observe this day during their 77th plenary meeting of 30th November 1981. The idea for this day is to strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all peoples and nations through education and public awareness on issues related to peace. The UN Secretary General-Ban Ki Moon declared that the theme of this year’s commemoration is ‘partnership for peace-Dignity for All’ which seeks to engage all segments of society to work for peace.[1] The commemoration of the World’s peace day calls for reflection on the state of security and peace in Nigeria. The importance of peace and security in national development cannot be overemphasized. The absence of peace has a lot of negative socio-economic implications which leads to underdevelopment, depopulation and lack of social integration. Nigeria as a nation has suffered and is still suffering the negative consequences of terrorism and conflict. The need to tackle insecurity and ensure national security has remained at the top of the pyramid of the expectations of Nigerians from the federal government over the years. Similarly, tackling insecurity has remained a major reoccurring issue in the agenda of the federal government; as such, huge sums of money are budgeted annually for the fight against insecurity in Nigeria, although insecurity still remains an issue of bother to Nigerians.[2] As part of its contribution towards the addressing of insecurity in Nigeria, NOIPolls Limited over the years conducted several security polls to gauge the perception of Nigerians on the issue and the need for national peace and cooperation. One of such polls conducted in 2014, revealed that on the one hand, Nigerians (76 percent) generally perceived the country to be insecure, while on the other hand, they perceived their local communities to be secure. The Boko Haram terrorist group has over the years remained Nigeria’s top source of security threat. It is important to recall that in May 2013 the government declared state of emergency in some Northern parts of the country to allow the Nigerian military the ease to fight the insurgents.[3] The federal government also increased the security budget in order to acquire military arms and equipment.[4] In line with this, another security poll conducted by NOIPolls in 2013 revealed that almost 3 in 10 Nigerians (26 percent) suggested that the Federal Government should dialogue with Boko Haram, while only 1 in 10 Nigerians suggested amnesty as a way forward. Also in 2014, the top key measures identified by Nigerians to help tackle security challenges in Nigeria were ‘unity among religious leaders’ (18 percent); ‘Increased security within the country/borders’ (15 percent) and ‘better motivation of security personnel with good pay, better equiping and raining’ (15 percent). These findings are further discussed below. Excerpts Of Findings From NOIPolls State Of Security Polls: In a security poll conducted in April 2014, respondents were asked to rate security in the country and in their local communities. Survey results revealed that with regards to security in the country, majority (76 percent: 37%+39%) had a negative perception of security in the country as a whole, describing it as ‘Not very Secure’ and ‘Not at all Secure’. Conversely, 24 percent (5%+19%) had a positive perception about security in Nigeria. The North-East accounted for the highest proportion of residents who described security in the country as ‘Very Secure’ (13 percent) and ‘Somewhat Secure’ (28 percent). It also recorded the lowest proportion of Nigerians who described the country as ‘Not very Secure’ (24 percent) and ‘Not at all secure’ (35 percent). However, with regards to security in their local communities, the majority of Nigerians had a positive perception about security within their local communities rating it as secure; 66 percent (39%+27%). On the other hand, 34 percent (21%+13%) had a negative perception about security in their communities describing it as not secure. The North-East and North-Central had the highest proportion of residents (29 percent each) who described it as ‘Not very Secure’. Please click here for full report A trend analysis on the state of security in the country revealed that the proportion of Nigerians who perceived the country as ‘Somewhat secure’ declined by 10-points from September 2013. On the other hand, those that indicated ‘Not at all secure’ increased by 7-points. This percentage increase could be as a result of the increased cases of insurgency recorded in the year 2014. In 2013, Nigerians were asked how they think the Federal Government should handle the Boko Haram Issue and overall, the majority of respondents (26 percent) were of the opinion that the Federal Government should dialogue with Boko Haram sect. This is followed by 16 percent who indicated that the matter should be investigated further. 14 percent indicated that the federal government should create employment for the youths in the Northern region; while 13 percent believed military force should be employed against them. Nigerians also suggested strong laws should be put in place to combat the issue (10 percent), members of the group should be granted amnesty (9 percent), foreign assistance should be solicited (6 percent) and prayers should be employed or tackle terrorism spiritually (6 percent). It is worthy to note that prior to this poll, the same question had been asked in a poll conducted in 2011 and findings revealed that the larger proportion of Nigerians (44 percent) were of the opinion that the employment of military force was the best approach to handling the issue of Boko Haram; however, changes in perceptions was observed in 2013, as more Nigerians suggested dialogue as a way forward. Please click here for full report Also in 2014, Nigerians were asked what should be done to tackle security challenges in Nigeria and the slight majority (18 percent) indicated that ‘unity among religious leaders’ will help tackle security challenges in Nigeria. Other popular suggestions include ‘increased security within the country/borders’, ‘better motivation of security personnel with good pay/equipments/training’ (15 percent each) and ‘everyone should be security conscious’ (13 percent). Please click here for full report In conclusion, the findings from the polls conducted by NOIPolls Limited on the issue of insecurity in Nigeria are the actual representation of the opinion of an average Nigerian with major concerns of insecurity centered on terrorist activities of the Boko Haram sect. The need for security in Nigeria would continue to be a major concern for the Federal, state and local governments until peace is restored. While President Muhammadu Buhari promised to curb internal communal conflicts through active dialogue and ensure an atmosphere for peace, dignity and tolerance for all Nigerians; there is need for a collective effort from all stakeholders’ even individuals to ensure the restoration of absolute peace across all geo-political zones in Nigeria. Survey Methods The security polls were conducted in May 2013 and April 2014. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. Phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. NOIPolls Limited is 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. [1] http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/ [2] http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/weekly/index.php/within-the-nation/21030-insecurity-and-change-in-nigeria. [3] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/10057720/Nigeria-declares-state-of-emergency-in-three-states.html [4] http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/boko-haram-nigeria-s-defence-budget-gulps-32-88bn-says-apc/188650/
- Contaminated Water and Poor Sanitation, Main Causes of Cholera Outbreak
Abuja, Nigeria. November 26th, 2013 – Latest Weekly Poll results released by NOIPolls Limited has revealed that contaminated food and water, as well as poor sanitation have been identified as the main causes of the recent Cholera outbreak in some parts of the country. The poll also found that slightly more than half of those polled (52%) were unaware of the recent cholera outbreak; although awareness was greater in the affected regions. It was suggested that “proper sanitation” (54%) and “provision of safe water” (44%) would help to reduce the further spread of cholera in Nigeria. In addition, on the issue of sanitation and hygiene, the poll found that Nigerians generally have a poor attitude towards sanitation and hygiene (59%); and further suggested that “regular cleaning of the environment and good waste management” (42%) and “personal hygiene” (35%) would enhance general cleanliness in localities. These were the key findings from the Cholera Outbreak Poll conducted in the week of November 18th 2013. Brief Introduction The recent outbreak of cholera in some states in Nigeria has led to several casualties. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae which is mostly transmitted through the contamination of water or food with faeces. The disease is a prevalent risk in many countries, with a high rate of occurrence in areas of the world where water supply, sanitation, food safety, and hygiene are inadequate. See NOIPolls Water & Sanitation Poll results for Nigeria. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that there are 3–5 million cholera cases and 100,000–120,000 related deaths worldwide every year.[1] Furthermore, recent reports have shown that between September and October this year, an estimated 2,771 cases and 124 deaths were recorded in Nigeria; while doctors are now monitoring outbreaks in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states. In a joint press briefing with a Non-Governmental Organisation, WaterAid Nigeria, in commemoration of the first United Nations endorsed World Toilet Day this year, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu stated that “the yearly occurrence of cholera could be stopped if there is a mechanism to stop open defecation which will prevent contamination of water sources and foods that are major causes of cholera in the country.” He also stated that” “Reports from the 14 states affected by the cholera and gastroenteritis outbreak indicated that indiscriminate open defecation practice and lack of toilet facilities, which contaminated water sources and foods, were the major causes of cholera in these states”.[2] Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its latest poll on the outbreak of cholera in Nigeria to measure the level of awareness among Nigerians about the causes and prevention of cholera, the attitude of Nigerians towards hygiene and ways of improving general cleanliness in the society. The poll also served as an avenue to sensitize Nigerians who were unaware of the recent cholera outbreak in the country. Respondents to the poll were asked five specific questions. Firstly, in order to establish the level of awareness regarding the recent Cholera outbreak in some parts of the country, respondents were asked: Are you aware of the recent outbreak of cholera some parts of the country? Responses to this question revealed that slightly more than half of Nigerians (52%) are not aware of the recent outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country. On the other hand, a considerable proportion of Nigerians (48%) are aware of the current outbreak. Gauging the level of awareness from the geo-political zones standpoint revealed that theSouth-West zone (61%) had the highest proportion of respondents that were knowledgeable of the outbreak. This may be explained by the consideration that Lagos state (a South-Western state) was affected by the cholera outbreak and several casualties were recorded. Furthermore, the North-East zone (66%) accounts for the highest proportion of Nigerians that were unaware of the recent outbreak. [1] www.who.int [2] www.punchng.com Secondly, respondents were asked: What do you think is/are responsible for the outbreak of cholera in Nigeria? From the results, majority of Nigerians (60%) affirmed that the outbreak is due to “contamination of food & water”, followed by “poor environmental sanitation” (45%) and “poor personal hygiene” (27%). In addition, 10% of the respondents were unaware of the reasons for the cholera outbreak. An assessment across the geo-political zones showed that while most of the respondents that indicated “contamination of food & water” were from the North-East zone (75%), the South-West zone accounted for the highest proportion of respondents that indicated “poor personal hygiene” as the main reason for cholera outbreak. Thirdly, with the aim of gauging the knowledge of Nigerians on the preventive measures of the further spread of cholera, respondents were asked: In your opinion, what can be done to prevent the further spread of cholera across the country? From the results, a significant proportion of Nigerians had some level of knowledge about the preventive measures for addressing cholera. Majority of respondents (54%) affirmed that “proper environmental sanitation” would prevent the further spread of cholera. This was followed by the “provision of safe water” (44%); the practice of “personal hygiene & food safety” (27%); and “health education & awareness” (21%). There was a further 8% that were unaware of what could be done to prevent the spread of cholera. Analysis based on geo-political zones revealed that the North-West zone (66%) had the highest proportion of respondents that indicated “proper environmental sanitation” as a preventive measure. Similarly the North-East zone (56%) had the highest proportion of respondents that suggested “provision of safe water”, while the North-West zone (38%) also account for the highest proportion of respondents that claim “personal hygiene & food safety” would prevent the further spread of cholera across the country. Subsequently, in order to assess the general sanitation and hygiene culture of Nigerians, respondents were asked: How would you rate the general attitude of Nigerians towards sanitation & hygiene? Overall, the majority of the respondents (59%: 27%+32%) stated that Nigerians generally have a poor attitude to sanitation & hygiene, with 27% affirming it is very poor and 32% stating that it is poor. Furthermore, 28% were of the opinion that the attitude of Nigerians towards sanitation & hygiene is average; while only 12% (11%+1%) said they have a good attitude. Further analysis across geo-political zones revealed that the North-West zone (75%: 37%+38%) has the highest proportion of Nigerians that are of the opinion that Nigerians have a poor attitude towards sanitation & hygiene, the North-East zone (36%) accounts for the highest proportion of respondents that say it is average; while the South-East zone (20%: 18%+2%) had more Nigerians who believe that Nigerians have a good attitude towards sanitation & hygiene. Finally, in order to further explore the opinions of Nigerians regarding ways to improve sanitation & hygiene in localities, respondents were asked: In your opinion, what measures should be adopted by Nigerians to enhance sanitation & hygiene in your locality? The findings revealed that in order to improve sanitation and hygiene in localities across the country, measures suggested by respondents include: “regular cleaning of the environment and proper waste disposal” (42%); the practice of “personal hygiene” (35%); and the “sensitization of the public and enforcement of environmental laws”. Findings based on geo-political zones show that the North-Central zone (53%) had the highest proportion of respondents who suggested “regular cleaning of the environment and proper waste disposal” as a way to improve sanitation & hygiene. In addition, the North-West zone (32%) accounts for the highest proportion of respondents that suggested the “sensitization of the public and enforcement of environmental laws”. In conclusion, Nigerians have identified “contamination of food & water” (60%); “poor environmental sanitation” (45%) and “poor personal hygiene” as the main causes of the recent cholera outbreak in some parts of the country. Consequently, they have also suggested that preventive measures of cholera to be adopted should include: “proper environmental sanitation” (54%) and the “provision of safe water” (44%). Finally, in order to enhance improved sanitation and hygiene across the country, regular cleaning of the environment and proper waste disposal needs to be enforced. Furthermore, the practice of personal hygiene in homes and public places need to be encouraged; while there’s need for more public sensitization on the importance and benefits of proper sanitation to the society and family, particularly the children. There’s also the need for enforcement of the existing laws in order to ensure the public is protected from all forms of environmental hazards that may have negative impact on the health and wellbeing of citizens. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted from November 18th to 20th 2013. 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 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 judgement 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
- Corruption Is Generally Believed To Be Of High Prevalence In Nigeria; Identified As A Major Factor A
Tomorrow, 9th December 2015 will mark the commemoration of this year’s ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’. Each year, December 9 is designated as a day to raise awareness on corruption and on the role the United Nations has played in combating and preventing it. The theme for the 2015 global campaign is ‘Break The Corruption Chain’ and this calls for a reflection on the issue of corruption in Nigeria, looking at its impact on various aspects of National development, causes of corruption and its prevalence in the society and possible ways of breaking the corruption chain in the country. In Nigeria, the issue of corruption has always been referred to by both the general public and its leadership as one of the major challenges bedeviling the nation, and hindering its progress. There have been alarming and scandalous cases of corruption in Nigeria, especially in the public sector, however it is believed that the menace has eating deep into the nation’s fabrics, affecting almost every sector of the economy and posing a huge threat to growth and sustainable development. Several administrations have launched anti-corruption campaigns which can be said to have been hardly effective in checkmating the menace in the society despite the creation of some agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a bid to curtail corruption. However most recently, the nation witnessed a transition in government and handover of power to new leadership which rode to power on a fierce anti-corruption campaign and has reiterated zero tolerance for corruption, promising to tackle and deliver the nation from the grips of corruption which currently holds the It in a choke hold. As part of its contribution towards addressing the issue of corruption in Nigeria, NOIPolls has conducted several surveys on it, assessing its causes, how it affects business and the economy, organizations and institutions perceived to be most corrupt, how corruption can be tackled, amongst other aspects covered. Excerpts of Findings from NOIPolls Corruption in Nigeria Special Edition Poll: Findings from a recent poll partnership between NOIPolls and LEAP AFRICA revealed that the vast majority (85 percent) of adult Nigerians believe that the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria is to a high extent. In addition, while, 13 percent of Nigerians believe its prevalence is to some extent or to no extent at all 2 percent are negative of its existence in Nigeria. Respondents were also asked: What do you think is mostly responsible for the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria? Overall, Nigerians generally blame ‘weak government institutions’ (24 percent), ‘poverty’ (18 percent) and ‘resource scramble’ (11 percent), for the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria. Other factors responsible for the prevalence of corruption cited by Nigerians include; ‘Lack of openness and transparency in public service’ (9 percent), ‘quest for quick money’ (9 percent), ‘cultural acceptance of corruption by the populace’ (7 percent), ‘poor pay incentives’ (6 percent) and ‘ineffective anti-corruption agencies’ (5 percent) among other factors. With the aim of gauging the perception of Nigerians on the most corrupt organization/agency respondents were asked: Which organization/agency do you consider the most corrupt in Nigeria? Findings revealed that the ‘Nigerian Police Force’, as well as ‘Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)’ topped the list as the most corrupt institutions in Nigeria. This perception is shared by Nigerians across all geopolitical zones, although it is mostly true for the North-West zone where almost half of the respondents indicated the Nigerian Police Force and 30 percent indicated MDAs. These results further supports findings from a survey conducted by the CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with the McArthur Foundation, which revealed the Nigeria police Force, NPF, alongside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC) as the most corrupt of federal government agencies in the country in 2013.[6] In addition, 11 percent of the respondents, especially from the South-South zone (26 percent) indicated ‘Politicians/political parties’; while 10 percent of the respondents, especially from the North-East zone (28 percent) mentioned ‘Armed forces/security agencies’. Further analysis by gender revealed that while more males (36 percent) than females (24 percent) have their perception geared towards the police as the most corrupt institution; more female (30 percent) than male (23 percent) respondents believe the MDAs are the most corrupt institutions. Finally respondents were asked: When stopped by a law enforcement officer while driving without a valid driver’s license in a hurry to get to a meeting, will you go through with procedure or simply ‘pay’ NGN2000.00 to go through? This scenario was used to gain insight on people’s involvement with corrupt practices, though findings from this may not be conclusive in determining the extent of corruption in Nigeria, as there are several other facets of corruption which have not been explored by the poll. Responses to this question revealed that more than half of Nigerians (59 percent) claimed they would most definitely go through with the procedure. The stance was regardless of gender, age-group and geo-political zones. On the other hand about one third (32 percent) of Nigerians admitted they would not go through with the procedure, but would rather simply pay ₦2000 to go through. While this finding suggest that some Nigerians would willingly bribe their way through when faced with such situation, several indications from previous charts indicate that some Nigerians may be coerced by law enforcement officers in to giving bribe. Further analysis by geo-political zones revealed that Nigerians in the North-West (38 percent) and South-West (36 percent) zones are most likely to pay ₦2000 given the scenario. Please click here for full report Also in a 3-year trended result from the NOIPolls Business Leaders Perception Survey (BLPS) conducted in 2009, 2010 and 2012, corruption consistently ranked high on the list of most critical factors limiting Nigerian businesses, emerging top three on the list in all three years and the number one factor making doing business difficult in 2012. Please click here for full report In conclusion, findings from these polls reflect the actual perceptions of everyday Nigerians on the issue of corruption and its impact on economic activities in the nation. With the vast majority of adult Nigerians (85 percent) believing that the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria is to a high extent and to this effect, blame ‘weak government institutions’ (24 percent), ‘poverty’ (18 percent) and ‘resource scramble’ (11 percent) for the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria among other factors, it is imperative for the Federal government to look into these identified causes and find out ways of developing strategies and structures to effectively checkmate corruption. Also with findings revealing that about one third (32 percent) of Nigerians admitted they would not go through with the procedure, but would rather simply pay ₦2000 to go through a law enforcement officer; further highlighting the involvement of individuals in corrupt practices in Nigeria. Corruption is a major factor making doing business in Nigeria difficult and addressing it would be a great step towards improving business growth and the Nation’s overall economy. Survey Methods The corruption in Nigeria special edition poll was conducted in the week of April 13th 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. The NOIPolls Business Leaders’ Perception Survey involved fieldwork and study analysis which were undertaken in 2009, 2010 and 2012. The sample consisted of senior to mid-level executives in Nigerian businesses; cutting across Micro, Small, Medium and Large organizations. The sample population comprised 1000 businesses covering various sectors of the economy and locations. For more information on these surveys, send an email to enquiries@noi-polls.com. 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. 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
- Health coverage for All Nigerians: A myth or a possibility?
Abuja, Nigeria. August 29th, 2017 – Recent snap poll released by NOIPolls has revealed that almost 9 in 10 adult Nigerians (89 percent) pay out of pocket for health care services, as they do not have any form of health insurance. This finding is contrary to the main objective of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) aimed at securing universal health coverage and access to adequate and affordable healthcare in order to improve the health status of Nigerians. In line with this, the Executive Director of NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, speaking during the opening ceremony of a two-day retreat for directors of National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the NHIS in Abuja in November 2016, stressed that ‘the NHIS has expressed sadness over its inability to have majority of Nigerians covered under its healthcare policy, many years after its inception’. He further stated that ‘there is an urgent need for the scheme to reach out and extend coverage to more Nigerians especially at the grassroots’.[1] . More findings revealed that only 9 percent of the respondents claimed they have some form of health insurance, of which 71 percent indicated NHIS and 21 percent indicated Private Health Management Organizations (HMOs) as their provider. While insurance cover for all Nigerians is still a far cry from the industry’s expectation, on the bright side, a significant proportion of Nigerians (78 percent) who are currently not covered expressed willingness to pay a small amount of money monthly/yearly to get enrolled for health coverage. Interestingly, this finding highlights a critical low hanging fruit for stakeholders in the health sector, as part of a wider range of solutions to broadening the pool of funds and achieving more sustainable health financing and coverage for all Nigerians. Finally, it is also pertinent for all stakeholders within the health sector, particularly NHIS, HMOs, Hospitals, CBOs and FBOs to engage in mass mobilisation of the general public, especially the poor and vulnerable, to leverage on the benefits of health insurance. These are the key findings from the Health Insurance Snap Pollconducted by NOIPolls in the week of August 1st 2017. Brief Background Health service delivery in Nigeria has been inundated with various policies and plans from different administrations. Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system includes a vast number of private and public health providers who have vital roles to play within the sector. Different modalities of free health services have been adopted by the various tiers of government at different times. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was established in 1999 as a major factor in the National Poverty Eradication Efforts, to improve the health status of Nigerians. The scheme which was officially launched in 2005, aims to provide health insurance to citizens so that insured individuals and their wards have access to good, quality and cost-effective healthcare services. Some of its objectives are to protect families from the financial hardship of huge medical bills, to ensure equitable distribution of healthcare costs among different income groups, to ensure high-standard and efficiency of healthcare delivery and services to Nigerians and to ensure the availability of funds to the health sector for improved services; amongst others.[1] Similarly, Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) were established to ensure the overall success of the NHIS by facilitating affordable and high quality Medicare for Nigerians. In order to ensure that all segments of the society are covered, such as the formal sector, self-employed and rural community, children under five, the disabled, prison inmates, tertiary institutions and armed forces, the NHIS developed various programmes to reach these areas. In June of 2017, the Federal Ministry of Health stated that the HMOs had recorded abysmal failure in the health coverage of Nigerians which has resulted in many avoidable deaths[2]. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted a survey in order to gauge the perception of Nigerians regarding health insurance in the country. Survey Findings In order to ascertain the most utilized healthcare facilities by Nigerians, respondents were asked to identify their primary source of health care services when they or their family member fall ill. Interestingly, the findings revealed that majority of Nigerians (63 percent) say they visit government owned hospitals (primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities). During the course of this poll some of the respondents in this category disclosed that they prefer government hospitals because they get subsidized charges and that they have the chance to be examined by consultants who are usually senior grade medical doctors. This was followed by respondents who visit private hospitals (39 percent) and Pharmacy/Chemist stores (17 percent), and those who self-medicate (13 percent) amongst others. In order to probe further, when asked how they pay for healthcare services, majority of the respondents (82 percent) reported that they pay “Out of pocket”, and this cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age groups. Further, analysis indicated that a total of 89 percent actually pay out of pocket, since 7 percent of respondents said they received support from friends and family, which can also be categorised as out of pocket expenses. This was followed in a far distance by only 9 percent of the respondents who claimed that they access health care services using their health insurance scheme. This finding clearly highlights the low penetration of health insurance amongst the populace, which urgently needs to be bridged in order to achieve universal health coverage[3]. Moving on, poll also ascertained the willingness of Nigerians who currently pay out of pocket to pay a small amount of money monthly or yearly (premium) in order to access healthcare services when they need it, especially in time of emergency. In response, almost 8 in 10 (78 percent) respondents expressed their willingness to pay a small amount to get enrolled into the health insurance scheme. Interestingly, during the course of the poll, some respondents made on the spot inquiries on how to enrol on a health insurance scheme. These findings clearly demonstrate the critical need for sensitization and awareness campaigns to mobilize the citizenry on the need and benefits of health insurance. In conclusion, the poll revealed that most Nigerians (89 percent) do not have any form of health insurance, thus they pay out of pockets to access healthcare services; and of this proportion, 78 percent expressed their willingness to pay a small amount of money to enable them access service whenever they fall ill. These findings clearly highlight the low penetration of health insurance across the country and calls for intensive sensitization and mass mobilisation of the populace. Finally, while it is critical for government to re-evaluate its current budgetary allocation to the health sector; it is also important for stakeholders to consider more sustainable ways to finance of the sector through health insurance, and to mobilise the public to increase the pool of funds available for investment into the sector. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of August 1st, 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 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, 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] www.oauife.edu.ng/wp…/Dr.-K.-T.-Ijadunola-Free-Health-Services-in-Nigeria.doc [2] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/health-insurance-fg-calls-scrapping-hmos/ [3] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/poverty-112m-nigerians-live-poverty-line/
- Good Public Relations; Critical for Positive Public Image of Law Enforcement Agencies.
Abuja, Nigeria. July 21st, 2015 – A recent snap poll conducted by NOIPolls to gauge the perception of Abuja residents on law enforcement agencies operating in the city of Abuja has revealed that ‘improvement in public relations’ (18 percent) is critical for boosting the overall public image and perception of law enforcement agencies. Residents also suggested that the law enforcement agency personnel should be ‘Committed to work’ (16 percent), even as the agencies ensure constant re-orientation and training of personnel. These suggestions are most critical to the law enforcement agencies especially as reported cases of brutality of Nigerian citizens by some of these agencies have negatively impacted their public image.[1] An evaluation of the law enforcement agencies based on the rating of critical attributes including ‘Friendliness’, ‘Transparency of dealings’ and ‘Effectiveness’ revealed that overall, the “Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp” (NSCDC) is considered the friendliest agency as it received the best rating (3.7) in terms of ‘Friendliness’. Similarly, the ‘Nigerian Army’ (3.8) and the ‘NSCDC’ (3.8) received the best rating in ‘Transparence of dealing’, thus suggesting that these agencies are more likely to be open about their activities and basic information of operation to residents of Abuja and other stakeholders. Again, the ‘Nigerian Army’ is considered the most ‘Effective’ agency as it received the best rating (4.3) in this attribute, while being closely followed by the ‘Department of State Service (DSS)’ with an overall rating of 4.0. In addition, the ‘Joint Task Force’ is considered the least friendly, transparent in dealings, as well as the least effective agency as it received the worst rating in all three attributes (1.7; 1.6; 2.0). Finally, while these findings mark critical areas of focus for improvement, it is also imperative that an overall evaluation of processes be carried out. In so doing, special attention should be given to recruitment and management of their workforce in order to address the rising cases of brutality of Nigerian citizens. Brief Background Law enforcement agencies are government agencies saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the laws and maintaining the internal security of the state.[1] They also operate within a well-defined code of conduct to avoid unnecessary interference and ensure maximum coherent cooperation. Some of the Law enforcement Agencies in Abuja include; Nigeria Custom service, Nigeria Road Safety Commission, Nigerian Police Force amongst others. However, additional agencies were formed within the Abuja jurisdiction, these are; Vehicle Inspection Officers, Abuja Environmental Protect, Joint Task Force etc.[2] These agencies all function within their specified responsibilities, working coherently to ensure that Abuja residents comply with the specified laws governing its jurisdiction; although, several reports have revealed that residents are of varied opinions on the relevance and/or importance and effectiveness, of these agencies, especially given the rising cases of brutality of these agencies. Against this background, NOIPolls Ltd conducted a poll to bring to light a detailed analysis on the visibility of the law enforcement agencies in Abuja as well the different opinions of Abuja residents with regards to the Friendliness, Transparency of dealings and Effectiveness of these law enforcement agencies. The poll was specifically targeted at law enforcement agencies operating in Abuja, thus sample selection was limited to the FCT. Key Findings Respondents were asked three specific questions. Firstly, with the aim of gauging the awareness and visibility of Law enforcement agencies in Abuja, respondents were asked: Which Law Enforcement Agency do you see operate in Abuja? While several law enforcement agencies operate in Abuja, responses revealed that their visibility to residents of Abuja vary, with some being highly visible based on their mandate for operation and frequency of interaction with the Abuja populace and others being less visible. In line with this, findings revealed that among all law enforcement agencies operating in Abuja, the ‘Nigerian Police Force(NPF)’ (70 percent) is most visible to the residents of Abuja. This is followed by the ‘Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC)’ (61 percent) and Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) with 53 percent. Some other agencies in operation which could be considered somewhat visible to the residents of Abuja include the ‘Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC)’ (28 percent),‘Abuja Environmental Protection Board’ (AEPB) with 19 percent and the ‘Motor Park Task Force’ (7 percent). In addition the Nigeria Custom Service (3 percent), Joint Task Force (3 percent), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) (3 percent) and ‘Department of State Service’ (DSS) (2 percent) were the least mentioned agencies, thus indicating low visibility of the operations of these agencies. Subsequently with the aim of rating the operations of these agencies, respondents were asked: How would you rate the agencies in terms of friendliness, transparency and effectiveness? To achieve this, respondents were asked to rate the mentioned attributes on a scale of ‘1 to 5’, where ‘1’ represented very poor and ‘5’ a very good rating. These ratings were critical in evaluating the overall public image of these agencies. In terms of Friendliness, findings revealed that the ‘NSCDC’ (3.7) which was rated above average received the highest rating to this effect. Similarly, the ’DSS’ (3.5), ‘FRSC’ (3.4), ‘NDLEA’ (3.3) and the ‘Nigerian Army’ (3.3) received ratings above average in ‘Friendliness’, while agencies such as the VIO (2.3) AEPB (1.9), Motor Park Task Force (1.8) and Joint Task Force (1.7) received poor ratings (all below average). With regards to ‘Transparency of dealings’, again the ‘NSCDC’ (3.8), Nigerian Army (3.8), ‘FRSC’ (3.5), ‘NDLEA’ (3.4), ’DSS’ (3.3) and‘Nigeria Custom service’ (3.2) received ratings above average in this attribute, with the Nigerian Army and FRSC receiving the highest rating in this attribute. On the other hand, the ‘Joint Task Force’ (1.6), ‘Motor Park Task Force’ (1.9), ‘AEPB’ (2.2) and the‘Nigerian Police Force’ (2.2) were rated poor in terms of their ‘Transparency of dealings’. The effectiveness of the agencies was also evaluated and findings revealed that the ‘Nigerian Army’ (4.3) and ‘DSS’ (4.0) received good ratings in this attribute and these also represented the highest ratings compared with other agencies. In addition, ‘Joint Task Force’ (2.0) and the ‘Motor Park Task Force’ (2.3) received the lowest ratings; moreover they both received the lowest ratings in all three attributes compared with other agencies. This therefore depicts that the residents of Abuja generally have a poor perception towards the operations of these agencies. A critical argument which could be presented from these findings lies in the correlation between the visibility of an agency and the perception of public towards the agency. In order words it can be argued that agencies with higher visibility due to higher frequency of interaction with the public (as shown in the first chart) are more likely to have poor public perception (just as in the case of the Nigerian Police Force and VIO as shown in the chart below). However these arguments would be ruled out by the fact that agencies such as the FRSC which is highly visible in operation has a relatively better public perception compared with the Nigerian Police Force. Also the Joint Task Force which appears to be less visible in terms of operation has the worst public image and perception. Thus the visibility of an agency is not likely to affect the perception of the public. NSCDC: Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps; DSS: Department of State Service; FRSC: Federal Road Safety Corps; NA: Nigerian Army; NDLEA: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency; NCS: Nigeria Customs Service; NPF: Nigeria Police Force; VIO: Vehicle Inspection Office; AEPB: Abuja Environmental Protection Board Finally, respondents were asked: In your opinion, what suggestions can be given to these agencies? Findings revealed that based on suggestions from the respondents, residents of Abuja would mostly want to see an ‘improvement in public relations (18 percent) of these agencies especially for agencies that were rated below average in terms of friendliness, moreover this attribute generally received the least rating for almost all the agencies compared with Transparence and effectiveness. Residents also suggested law enforcement agency personnel be ‘Committed to work’ (16 percent) ‘stop the collection of bribe’(12 percent) and ‘abide by their code of conduct’ (10 percent). Also, agencies should ensure continuous ‘re-orientation’ of agency personnel’ in order to boost their overall public image and perception. These would be more critical to agencies that were rated below average in transparency and effectiveness such as the Joint Task Force. In conclusion, the law enforcement poll has revealed that the visibility of law enforcement agencies to residents of Abuja varies; with the ‘Nigerian Police Force’ topping the list of agencies mostly seen in operation in Abuja. Similarly the perception of the public towards these agencies also varies; while the Joint Task Force (JTF) is considered the least friendly (1.7), transparent in dealing (1.6) and effective (2.0) agency in Abuja, the ‘NSCDC’ is considered the friendliest agency as it received the best rating (3.7) in terms of ‘Friendliness’. Similarly, the ‘Nigerian Army’ (3.8) and the ‘NSCDC’ (3.8) received the best rating in ‘Transparence of dealing’. In addition, the ‘Nigerian Army’ is considered the most ‘Effective’ agency as it received the best rating (4.3) in this attribute, Finally, to enhance public perception of these agencies especially for those with poor public image, the residents of Abuja recommend ‘improvement in public relations’ of these agencies which could be achieved through training of their workforce. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of 6th July 2015. It involved telephone interviews of a random Abuja targeted sample. 500 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory, were interviewed. NOIPolls Limited is 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]Europol functions [1]http://dailyindependentnig.com/2015/03/activist-decries-rising-cases-police-brutality [2] www.finelib.com
- First National Poll (Feb 2007), Second National Poll (Nov 2007),Third National Poll (May 2008)
Results Summary NOI Polls is the leading opinion research organisation in Nigeria. Our surveys target economic, social and political issues that affect the general public, and our mission is to give voice to millions of Nigerians – by providing a platform for the articulation of a variety of public opinions. We are also committed to building a democratic culture in Nigeria, by supporting the activities of decision-makers in the public and private sectors, through the provision of timely and relevant information regarding public opinion on specific policies and sectoral issues. The NOI/Gallup Poll is designed to yield a representative opinion of Nigerians through the following features: • Face-to-face interviews • 2000 people aged 15 and above • 6 geopolitical zones • Interviews conducted in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Ibo, and Pidgin English • Sampling and analysis conducted with robust survey methodologies developed by The Gallup Poll Questions on Governance included: What form of government, a democracy, a military, or a religious government is best for the people of Nigeria? Government Delivers – Accomplishments of the current government? Most important Issue for Government to address in the next 12 months? Confidence in governments & agencies? First National Poll (Feb 2007) | File Size: 721 Kb / PDF

















