Abuja, Nigeria. November, 2016 –Latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls Limited has revealed that more than 9 in 10 Nigerians regard agriculture sector as one of the most viable means of driving the nation’s economy positively and pulling it out the current recession. It is unarguable that Nigeria’s economy is tied to accruable revenue from the oil sector, but with the current free fall of crude oil prices, diversification is necessary for the revival of the country’s economy and agriculture has been tipped as one of the sectors with great potentials. Nigeria with its abundant arable land and over 160 million people, combined with its ability to grow a broad range of agricultural produce can become a leading agricultural power in the continent. Although 78 percent of respondents disclosed that they or their immediate family members engage in farming, only 15 percent indicated that they are involved in commercial farming. Additionally, 35 percent specified that they are engaged in subsistence farming while 50 percent mentioned that they are involved in both subsistence and commercial farming. The implication of this is the unavailability of cash crops like groundnut, cocoa, rubber, palm oil produce, etc. for export purposes.[1] Furthermore, out of the 78 percent who said that they are involved in farming, 83 percent stated that they grow staple crops, 28 percent say they grow vegetables, while 20 percent engage in poultry farming. This could be ascribed to the large number of people who are currently combining subsistence and commercial farming due to the high demand and consumption for staple foods.[2] Despite being endowed with abundant natural resources and substantial agricultural potentials, the Nigerian farmers are faced with enormous challenges as revealed in this survey. Lack of fertilizer is tipped as one of the major challenges farmers face as stated by (61 percent) of the respondents, lack of agricultural loans (35 percent) and high costs of farm inputs (21 percent) were also mentioned as issues hindering their efforts. To cushion these effects, 51 percent opined that farmers should be provided with enough incentives in form of fertilizers, improved seedlings, etc. and 48 percent advocated agricultural loans to farmers while 13 percent encouraged the provision of mechanized farming equipment to farmers to enhance the growth of agriculture in Nigeria. These were some of the key findings from the Agriculture Poll conducted in the week of November 1st, 2016. Brief Background Agriculture encapsulates all farming activities, crops, poultry and livestock and before Nigeria discovered oil, agriculture was the major hub of the country’s economy providing more than 70 percent of employment and resources in the country, 75 percent of our foreign reserve was also derived from agriculture[3]. Agriculture played a dominant role in the economy of Nigeria in the past but the discovery of oil in 1958 created a shift and a loss of interest, leading to a neglect of the agriculture sector[4]. With the dwindling oil prices across the globe, coupled with Nigeria’s economic afflictions, stakeholders have advised that the nation’s sources of income be diversified listing agriculture as one of the viable means of the economic diversification goal. Nigeria’s agricultural capability equips it as a strong contender in the global agricultural market place nevertheless its vast potentials remain untapped. Although there have been concerted efforts by successive Nigerian governments to ensure consistent food production and introduce modern technology into the agricultural sector, as well as reforms (the Operation Feed the Nation, the Green Revolution and the Structural Adjustment Programme) aimed at increasing productivity in the agricultural sector, a lack of sustainability has made it impossible to achieve these goals. Millions of Naira has been disbursed for the introduction of modern technology into the Nigerian agricultural sector with the purpose of improving food, livestock and fish production so as to make sure that food production in Nigeria is boosted but this dream was short-lived as it failed to keep pace with the growing population of the country. In view of this, NOIPolls conducted a survey on agriculture in Nigeria to ascertain the level of Nigerians involved in agriculture activities and to measure its viability as one of the alternatives regarding the nation’s economy diversification. Survey Findings The survey results revealed that a large proportion of the respondents (78 percent) admitted that they or their immediate family members engage in farming and residents from the North-East zone accounted for the highest number of respondents (88 percent) who asserted to this statement. This could be attributed to the assistance given by the World Bank and other international agencies for the improvement of agricultural activities in the area.[5] On the other hand, 22 percent claimed that they are not engaged in farming. Furthermore, out of the 78 percent who engage in farming activities, 35 percent stated that they are involved in subsistence farming; respondents aged 60 years and above had the largest proportion in this category, implying that it is mainly senior citizens or retirees who have a form of garden around their homes where they grow crops mainly for consumption. Also, commercial farming was mentioned by 15 percent of the respondents and the South-South zone had the highest percentage (21 percent) in this category. The South-South region of Nigeria is covered by a body of water from the Atlantic Ocean makingthe land very fertile and also providing abundant aquatic resources which creates sufficient prospect for agricultural activities to flourish.[6] Nigerians aged between 36 – 60 years were the majority who stated that they engage in commercial farming. In addition, 50 percent of the respondents stated that they engage in both subsistence and commercial farming. Subsequently, the survey sought to find out the kind of agricultural activities Nigerians are involved in and the largest proportion (83 percent) of the respondents reported that they grow staple foods. This is followed by 28 percent who stated that they grow vegetables, suggesting that most people who are engaged in subsistence farming combine staples and vegetables which are in high demand and therefore quite marketable. Other agricultural activities that were mentioned include poultry farming (20 percent), livestock farming (15 percent) and plantation farming (12 percent) among other assertions. The poll result also revealed that a vast majority (61 percent) of Nigerians, irrespective of the type of farming they engage in, cited lack of fertilizers as one of the major challenges disrupting their farming activities. The North-East (84 percent) and the North-West (83 percent) zones had the largest proportion of respondents who disclosed this. News reports revealed that the military placed restrictions on the movement of urea fertilizer for security reasons due to the activities of the Boko Haram insurgency in some North-Eastern and North-Western states as the product was one of the ingredients used in the production of explosives.[7] The second major challenge mentioned is the lack of agricultural credit mentioned by 35 percent of the farmers. In the course of this survey, most farmers asserted that they lack the collateral needed to borrow from the agricultural loans available, especially the small holder farmers. The South-South zone had the highest number (59 percent) of respondents who attested to this as the zone is prominent for huge commercial farming like Oil Palm and Rubber plantation farming which would requires a lot of money to finance. Other hindrances that impact the agricultural activities according to the respondents were cost of labour (21 percent) and lack of access to mechanism (15 percent) amongst others. Respondents’ awareness was assessed on agricultural programmes within their locality and the findings showed that 71 percent of Nigerians are not aware of any agricultural programmes in their area. However, 29 percent claimed to be aware some agricultural programmes in their area. In ascertaining the view of Nigerians on the effect of the agricultural sector on the country’s economy, responses revealed that almost all the respondents (94 percent: 39 percent + 55 percent) agreed that the agricultural sector can boost Nigeria’s economy and this is buttressed by the evident leap in the sector. The Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) in one of its recent report stated that the agricultural sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased from 23.86 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 24.18 percent[8] in 2016. They therefore opined that agriculture is generally providing good returns on investment and should be given a special focus to salvage the nation’s economy. Lastly, the opinions of Nigerians were gauged on best possible methods to nurture the growth of agriculture in Nigeria and findings revealed that incentives in the form of fertilizers, seedlings etc should be given to farmers as stated by a majority (52 percent) of respondents. It can be inferred that the shortage of fertilizers earlier mentioned a challenge faced by 61 percent of farmers could be one of the reasons most of the respondents advocated for this. In the same vein, 48 percent were of the opinion that there should be agricultural loan provisions to the farmers to enable them increase their inputs and boost their harvests. Also, 13 percent advocated for the provision of mechanized farming tools which have been proven to enhance high yield. The loss of farm produce, especially the perishable goods was also mentioned as 5 percent of the respondents stated that storage facilities should be provided. In conclusion, the recent poll results revealed that 78 percent of Nigerians are involved in one farming activity or the other with 50 percent of them engaging in both subsistence and commercial farming. The report also showed that a majority of Nigerians (94 percent) are of the opinion that agriculture is capable of rescuing Nigeria from its current economic recession, boosting the economy by producing jobs and adding to nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) predicament thereby returning the country to its leading agricultural power. In summary, 61 percent of Nigerian farmers have pointed to lack of fertilizer as one of their major challenges, therefore, a large percentage (52 percent) of the Nigerian populace had advocated that incentives like seedlings and fertilizers should be given to farmers while 48 percent support a form of loan to farmers, especially the small holder farmers. With a nation currently in recession and looking to diversify and a looming global food shortage, combined with vast arable lands and the ability to produce various crops from different regions in the country, Nigeria is primed to become a world contender in the agricultural space if adequate measures as highlighted above are put into place. Favorable policies must be formulated, implemented and enforced to enable the nation harness its agricultural potentials, drastically reduce the dependence on oil, provide desperately needed jobs and generally improve standard of living. The impending coordinated investment in the sector is capable to transform Nigeria into a major global agriculture hub. Survey Method The opinion poll was conducted in the week of November 1st 2016. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.nepc.gov.ng/news.php [2] http://www.inter-reseaux.org/publications/revue-grain-de-sel/51-special-issue-nigeria/article/staple-crop-production-and [3] http://leadership.ng/news/554115/okorocha-blames-recession-on-neglect-of-agric-sector [4] http://www.leadership.ng/news/500679/agric-sector-can-bounce-back-mainstay-nigerias-economy [5] http://www.worldbank.org/en/search?q=assistance+to+North+east+Nigeria%2Bagriculture¤tTab=1 [6] http://www.cadpnigeria.org/index.html [7] http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/farmers-in-a-fix-over-fertiliser-scarcity/142771.html [8] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/agric-accounts-24-gdp-says-cbn/

Abuja, Nigeria. December 20th, 2016 –As another end of year festivity approaches, Nigerians are looking forward to the celebrations that come with the season and the time off to relax before kick-starting the New Year. Hence, while a flurry of economic activities such as purchasing of travel tickets, food items, clothes etc. are ongoing; Nigerians are mindful of the impact on their finances due to probable rising costs and also as the economy is yet to improve. This is attested to by the majority of Nigerians (77 percent) who anticipate a general increase in the prices of goods and services during this festive season and 51 percent of this proportion who specified food as the item that would mostly increase, as revealed by the latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls Limited. More findings revealed that most Nigerians (62 percent) will be staying at home to relax during the end of year festivities and residents from the North-East zone accounted for the largest proportion (77 percent) of Nigerians in this category. This could be attributed to the economic situation of Nigeria that has further worsened in the third quarter[1], coupled with the fact that the zone is yet to gain stability due to some pockets of insurgency activities. Therefore, citizens would rather cut down their expenditures and stay at home in order not to incur too much expenses while also trying to stay safe. Also, 20 percent reported that they will be travelling during the period and the South-East zone recorded the largest proportion (28 percent) of the respondents that gave this assertion. In addition, the poll revealed that the current economic recession facing the country maybe an impediment to the level of satisfaction citizens would enjoy this festive season as most Nigerians (48 percent) pointed out that they will minimize their end of year spending while 35 percent complained that it will increase their end of year spending amongst other effects. Therefore, the Federal Government needs to seek more realistic solutions to the economy, especially now that the 2017 Appropriation Bill has been submitted to the National Assembly with about 31 percent of the budget committed to capital expenditure[2]. Lastly, most Nigerians (23 percent) wish their fellow citizen peace and prosperity during this festive period which portrays love and harmony among the citizens. These were the key findings from the end of year special poll conducted in the week of December 12th, 2016. Brief Background Usually, the month of December signifies the end of a Gregorian calendar year and is marked with several celebrations in Nigeria, from parties to carnivals, social gatherings, family/school reunion, annual sporting, cultural fairs and art events. Mid-December through to early January is normally checked with a variety of events such as entertainment (‘Headies’), the Calabar carnival, Eyo festival in Lagos and the 9,999 carol night in Uyo the Akwa-Ibom state capital amongst other series of events. During this season, many towns and cities are emptied as most people who have moved to the cities return to their ancestral home towns and villages to be with family they may not have been opportune to see in the entire year due to city living. Christmas in Nigeria as usual, is a time for celebration and reconnection, the experience is always an unforgettable one. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted this poll to explore the plans of Nigerians for the 2016 end of year festive season. This poll results release further trends current results with results of the first, second, third and fourth edition conducted in December 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Survey Findings To ascertain the plans of Nigerians during this festive season, this poll results revealed that most Nigerians (62 percent) stated that they will stay at home and residents from the North-East zone had the highest percentage (77 percent) of respondents in this category. This could be attributed to the economic situation of Nigeria that has further worsened in the third quarter[3], coupled with the fact that the zone is yet to gain stability due to some pockets of insurgency activities. Therefore, citizens would rather cut down their expenditures and staying at home in order not to incur too much expenses while also trying to stay safe. Also, 20 percent of the respondents stated that they will be traveling and the South-East zone recorded the largest proportion (28 percent) of the respondents that gave this assertion. While 12 percent indicated that they will continue with their various businesses, 5 percent reported that they will be attending events. In addition, a meagre 1 percent revealed that they will spend more time with their families. When current findings are compared to responses from the poll conducted in 2015, it reveals a 5-point increase in the percentage of Nigerians who will be staying at home to relax and a 7-point decline in the percentage of Nigerians who will be traveling during festive season. These differences could be as a result of the strategy adopted by citizens to manage the little resources they have to avoid overspending and any financial mishaps in the coming year.[4] An evaluation of an anticipated general rise in prices during this festive season in comparison with the poll conducted in 2015 revealed that most Nigerians (77 percent) believe that there would be a general rise in prices this festive season. This reflects a 1-point increase and further buttresses the reports by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) about the inflation rate in the country which has hit 18.3 percent in October 2016. On the contrary, 23 percent said they do not anticipate a general rise in the prices of items during this festive season and during the course of this survey, majority of the respondents in this category based their position on the fact that there is no money in circulation, therefore, buying power among Nigerians has drastically reduced which would in turn force the prices down or remain in the same point. Subsequently, out of the proportion of Nigerians (77 percent) who admitted to a general rise in prices, (51 percent) reported that they anticipate a general rise in prices of food items and it corroborates a previous report that Naira fall has affected the prices of food commodities in the country.[5] Other items mentioned are clothes and transportation (22 percent each), fuel (4 percent) and electronics (91 percent).Trend analysis revealed a significant 9-point decrease in the number of Nigerians who anticipated a general rise in food items and a 7-points increase in the proportion of Nigerians who mentioned clothes when these current findings are compared with the poll results conducted in 2015. Irrespective of the responses on the anticipated general rise in the prices of goods and services, the toll that the current economic situation would take on the end of year spending was also assessed and results showed that a major share (48 percent) of Nigerians reported that it will increase their spending. This represents a 13-point increase when compared with the results obtained in 2015. Additionally, 37 percent specified that they will minimize their spending this festive season signifying a 1-point decline when compared to the result obtained in 2015 which stood at 38 percent. Above all, the position of respondents who believed that the state of the economy will not affect their end of year spending remained the same at 9 percent. Lastly, the poll sought to ascertain what Nigerians wish their fellow citizens in this yuletide season and findings revealed that majority (23 percent) of Nigerians wish fellow citizens ‘peace and prosperity’, this assertion was made by most residents from the North-East zone (45 percent). Interestingly, this is closely followed by 22 percent of Nigerians who wish fellow citizens ‘a better Nigeria’ this season as it is obvious that citizens are facing undue hardships due to the current state of the economy. Another 22 percent indicated that they wish their fellow Nigerians ‘a Happy Christmas celebration and New Year in advance’ while 20 percent wish their fellow citizens God’s blessings, among other wishes. Trend analysis from 2015 revealed a huge 19-point increase in the proportion of Nigerians who wish fellow citizens ‘a better Nigeria’ and this could be attributed to the current state of the economy. Also, the poll conducted in 2015 indicates that the number of people who expressed ‘peace and prosperity’ wishes further decreased by 8- points in 2016. In conclusion, this poll has revealed that most Nigerians (62 percent) will be staying at home to relax during the end of year festivities, whereas 20 percent reported that they will be travelling during the period. More findings shows that majority of Nigerians (77 percent) anticipate a general increase in the prices of goods and services in Nigeria during the festive season and 51 percent of this proportion specified food as the item that would mostly increase. As a result of this general increase in prices, 48 percent of Nigerians disclosed that they will minimize their end of year spending while 35 percent complained that it will increase their end of year spending amongst other effects. Finally, the survey also present some sort of harmony and love among the citizens as 23 percent wish peace and prosperity for their fellow citizens. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of December 12th, 2016. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/215901-nigerias-economic-recession-deepens-gdp-contracts-2-24-per-cent-third-quarter.html [2] http://punchng.com/buhari-presents-2017-budget-nassembly-today/ [3] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/215901-nigerias-economic-recession-deepens-gdp-contracts-2-24-per-cent-third-quarter.html [4] http://guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/cityfile/amid-recession-austere-christmas-beckons/ [5] http://venturesafrica.com/here-is-how-the-fall-in-naira-has-affected-the-prices-of-food-commodities-in-nigeria/

Abuja, Nigeria. May 16th, 2017 – Latest public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that the majority (92 percent) of Nigerian citizens are willing to blow the whistle whenever they suspect corrupt practices. This comes on the heels of the declaration made by the Federal Government through its Finance Ministry, to reward any of its citizens that have substantial information to track and recover stolen government funds with between 2 and 5 percent of the recovered loot. 58 percent of the respondents surveyed disclosed that they were aware of this policy and the North West geo-political zone (73 percent) formed the highest percentage of respondents who are aware. This policy appears to be yielding positive results as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have since then, made several discoveries of looted funds hidden away in various places. It is therefore no surprise that the vast majority (92 percent) of the populace declared support for the policy. Furthermore, out of the proportion that showed support for the policy, 49 percent were of the opinion that the policy would help curb corruption in the country, while 12 percent believe it would help the government recover stolen funds. Contrarily, 8 percent of respondents did not support the policy; as they were of the opinion that the monies recoverd so far have not been utilized to the “benefit of the poor masses” (25 percent). Other respondents in this category also stated that “the policy is all a camouflage” (17 percent) and “it is not the best way to fight corruption” (14 percent). These concerns are in line with some media reports which have questioned the outcome of some recent whistle blowing activities and recovered loot by the EFCC. Based on this, some Nigerians are of the opinion that the recovered funds should be mainly channeled into “infrastructural development” (34 percent), “invested into the economy” (14 percent), and used to ‘improve the wellbeing of the poor’ (10 percent) amongst others. Finally, while the whistle blowing policy is a welcomed initiative in the fight against corruption, the Fedral Government must consistently ensure that recovered funds are used judiciously. Additionally, the issue of anonymity of the whistle blowers is very crucial to the longevity of the policy especially with the spate of insecurity in the country. Government must do all it can to protect the whistle blowers and keep their end of the bargain by rewarding them as appropriate, in order to motivate others to expose corrupt practices. These are some of the key findings from the Whistle Blowing Policy poll conducted in the week commencing May 1st, 2017. Brief Background Nigeria’s problems with corruption are well-documented and in a bid to curtail corruption, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the whistle blowing policy in December 2016. The policy’s objective, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance, is to increase disclosure of financial crimes, support the fight against financial crimes and corruption, improve the level of confidence in public institutions, enhance transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, improve Nigeria’s Open Government Ranking and Ease of Doing Business Indicators, and recover public funds that can be deployed to finance Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit.[1] The Ministry describes a whistleblower as any person who voluntarily discloses information about a possible misconduct or violation that has occurred, is ongoing, or is about to occur. The channel of reporting cases of suspected financial crimes is via a website (http://whistle.finance.gov.ng) which is a dedicated and secure portal developed by the Federal Ministry Of Finance specifically for the whistle blowing policy.[2] The portal contains details, directives and modus-operandi of the programme for potential whistle blowers. The policy provides confidentiality for whistle blowers and the whistleblower may be entitled to anywhere between 2.5 per cent (minimum) and 5.0 per cent (maximum) of the total amount recovered depending on the mode or condition of recovery.[3] There have been chronicles of recovered funds since the programme commenced, with outrageous amounts recovered.[4] Interestingly, there are mixed reactions regarding this policy across the Nigerian social space; particularly as regards support for the programme, what the recovered loots should be used for and a percieved lack of transperancy in accounting for the amount recovered so far. Hence, prompting the government to state that it will announce the amount of funds recovered since the programme began on the 29th of may 2017[5] which happens to be Democracy Day in Nigeria. Against this backdrop, NOIPolls conducted a survey to guage the perception of Nigerians on the Whistle-blowing Policy. Survey Findings The first question sought to measure the level of awareness of the Federal Government’s Whistle Blowing Policy and findings revealed that 58 percent of respondents were aware, while the remaining 42 percent said they were unaware. Analysis across geo-political zones showed that the North-West zone (73 percent) is the region with the highest proportion of respondents who showed awareness and this could be attributed to the fact that the earliest discoveries made via the whistle blowing policy was from this zone.[6] The survey also sought to guage the support of Nigerians regarding the Federal Government’s whistle blowing policy and findings revealed that more than 9 in 10 (92 percent) respondents nationwide are in support of the policy and only a meagre 2 percent are not in support. This overwhelming support for the whistle blowing policy is easily understood given the huge sums of recovered funds since the program commenced. Evidently, these findings further corroborate the Federal Government’s appreciation of the cooperation of Nigerians in its fight against corruption via the whistle-blower policy, stating that the current administration has received immeasurable support from Nigerians since it’s commencement.[7] Furthermore, Nigerians who showed support for the policy were of the opinion that the policy ‘will curb corruption’ (49 percent), “help recover stolen funds’ (12 percent) and that ‘it is wrong to steal public funds’ (10 percent) among other positive reasons. On the contrary, of the 8 percent of respondents who do not support the policy, a large proportion (25 percent) cited that the money recovered will not be beneficial to poor Nigerians as their reason. While 17 percent believe that it is a camouflage, 14 percent disclosed that it is not the best way to fight corruption. In addition, 11 percent stated that the security of the whistle blowers is not guaranteed, and another 11 percent believe the policy has been one sided amongst other reasons. In measuring the willingness of Nigerians to be part of the whistle blowing process, findings revealed that slightly more than 9 in 10 (92 Percent) Nigerians are willing to blow the whistle if they suspect any corrupt practice in their environment. This can be traced to the fact that Nigerians are becoming increasingly aware of the catastrophic effects of corruption on the economy and their general wellbeing hence, they are willing to expose any corrupt practice in the nation. This also confirms the wide and general acceptability of the whistle blowing policy. Analysis across geo-political zones reveals that Nigerians in the North-East would be more willing to blow the whistle. Finally, the survey sampled the opinion of Nigerians on the outcome for funds recovered through the whistle blowing policy and 34 percent of the respondents suggested that the recovered loot should be used ‘for infrastructural development’ which is in line with the Federal Government’s suggestion to finance the country’s infrastructural deficit with recovered loot[8]. In addition, 14 percent of respondents suggested that the recovered loot ‘should be invested into the economy’ and 10 percent of respondents suggested that the loot should be used to improve the wellbeing of the poor among other suggestions. In conclusion, the poll revealed that although a vast majority of Nigerians (92 percent), support the whistle blowing policy and are also willing to blow the whistle on corrupt practices, a minor 8 percent still disagree with the policy due to concerns centred arround the outcome and transperency of the process. For instance, 5 percent of Nigerians who do not support the policy are of the opinion that defaulters arrested so far have not been properly dealth with. Hence, it is imperative that the government and relevant stakeholders synergise and address the issues dissuading some Nigerians from supporting the whistle blowing policy. Additionally, respondents believe the recovered funds should be used for “infrastructural development” (34 percent), “job creation” (15 percent), “it should be invested in the economy” (14%) and used to “improve the well being of the poor” (10 percent). This is very crucial to Nigerians as it will go a long way in ameliorating the present economic situation. Finally, while the poll clearly revealed a high support of Nigerians on the policy, it is imperative that the protection of the whistle blowers should be guaranteed as stated by 11 percent of Nigerians. Clearly, if this and other issues raised are properly addressed, the federal government’s whistle blowing policy will ultimately enjoy an even better support by Nigerians. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing May 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 geo-political zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com, you can also download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/12/22/fg-to-reward-whistleblowers-with-5-of-recovered-loot/ [2] http://whistle.finance.gov.ng [3] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/12/22/fg-to-reward-whistleblowers-with-5-of-recovered-loot/ [4] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/whistle-blowing-panacea-corruption/ [5] https://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/122879/recovered-3-1bn-looted-funds-efcc-boss [6] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/223140-efcc-recovered-9-8million-yakubu-ex-nnpc-gmd-see-mountains-dollars.html [7] http://www.news-africa.net/news/whistleblower-policy-fg-will-give-account-of-all-looted-funds [8] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/12/22/fg-to-reward-whistleblowers-with-5-of-recovered-loot/

Abuja, Nigeria. September 27th, 2016– The recent outbreak of polio in Borno state (Gwoza and Jere local government areas to be specific) have presented a cause for reflection on the issue of immunization in Nigeria. This is a major setback for the government as Nigeria has been polio-free for two years and thecrippling disease resurfaced weeks after its second-year milestone and months before Nigeria was to clinch World Health Organization certification after three years without the virus.[1] A poll conducted by NOIPolls in 2013, which sought the views of Nigerians on immunization, revealed that the largest proportion of Nigerians (91 percent) agreed that Immunization remained beneficial to the health and wellbeing of children. In addition, 8 in 10 Nigerians (83 percent) disagreed with the controversial view that the Polio vaccine is intended to kill or harm the reproductive health of children. Also, effective communication was suggested as the key to improve the success rate of immunization programs. These were some of the key findings from the Immunization Poll which was conducted in the week of March 4th 2013. Brief background According to the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health definition, a child is considered fully vaccinated if he or she has received a BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin) vaccination against tuberculosis; three doses of DPT to prevent diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus; at least three doses of polio vaccine; and one dose of measles vaccine. All these vaccinations should be received during the first year of life, over the course of five visits, including the doses delivered at birth.[2] The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), introduced in 1978 with the aim of providing routine immunization to children less than the age of two years, recorded initial but intermittent successes. The optimum level was recorded in 2015 when Nigeria was declared polio free by the World Health Organization (WHO) because no polio case was reported since 24th July 2014.[3] However, in recent times EPI recorded setbacks with the announcement that Nigeria is no longer polio free as the federal government has confirmed two new cases of polio in the North-East state of Borno and this has disqualified Nigeria from the polio-free certification which was initially scheduled for 24th July 2017.[4] Some of the challenges limiting effective vaccination in Nigeria includes; inadequate health care service, over vaccination, cultural and traditional barriers, and finally distance and location. In the light of media reports on controversies surrounding immunization and vaccination programs and the recent outbreak of polio, NOI Polls sought the opinions of Nigerians concerning the issue of immunization and vaccination; expecting that findings will help beam the search light on citizen perception towards immunization programs and serve as background to encourage further discourse around how immunization processes can be improved. Excerpts of Findings from the NOIPolls opinion survey on immunization in Nigeria Firstly, we sought to ascertain theawareness level of Nigerians regarding the Government’s policy on Immunization. Findings showed that an overwhelming majority (92 percent) responded affirmatively, admitting that they are aware of the Federal Government’s policy which provides free immunization to the public. On the contrary, a meager 7 percent responded negatively, stating that they are not aware of the policy. The survey gave insights on the extent to which Nigerians agreed or disagreed with the belief that Immunization/Vaccination is beneficial to the health and wellbeing of children, and the outcome showed that 91 percent of the respondents stated thatImmunization/Vaccination remained beneficial to the health and wellbeing of children, 3 percent remained neutral as they ‘neither agreed, nor disagreed’, while 7 percent disagreed with the assertion. In addition, analysis of results across geo-political zone revealed that the South-West region accounted for the largest proportion of the respondents (95 percent) who agreed that Immunization was beneficial to the health and wellbeing of children, while the North-West (79 percent) accounted for lowest in this category. In addition, the result revealed that more female respondents (92 Percent) than male respondents (90 percent) agreed to this statement. Subsequently, the analysis of results indicated that 83 percent of respondents ‘disagreed’ with the misconception that polio vaccines are administered with intent to kill or harm the reproductive health of children. Also, 4 percent of respondents were neutral, while 12 percent of the respondents claimed that the misconception is true. Furthermore, analysis on geo-political zone revealed that almost all the Southern region typically disagreed that Polio vaccines were administered with the intent to destroy or harm the sexual health of children. However, the North-East has the highest ratio of respondents who agreed to this statement whereas, the North-West zone had more of its residents (15 percent) who remained neutral. In February 2013, the media reported the killing of nine health workers by unknown gunmen in two separate shooting incidents as they were administering polio vaccines in Kano. Also, three medical doctors working at a government-run hospital in Yobe state were also killed in a separate attack. In this regard the survey ascertained the perception Nigerians regarding these of killings. The analysis of results revealed that the majority (59 percent) of respondents nationwide condemned the act and did described it saying that ‘it is very bad and shameful’; 31 percent also described the incidents as ‘sad & uncalled for’ and a meagre 2 percent were indifferent about the killings. Lastly, analysis of survey results revealed a vast majority (44 percent) of respondents who suggested that better communication efforts were needed to educate the public on the benefits of Immunization and Vaccination. This was closely followed by 15 percent who were of the view that health workers required better training to be able to convey the benefits of their activities to the service users. Also, 13 percent suggested that religious and political leaders need to be fully involved in promoting immunization programs. Other suggestions include: logistics for vaccines and immunization materials have to be improved (12 percent); better coordination between the health ministry and local partners (9 percent); and the provision of security for health workers (3 percent). In conclusion, this result affirms the previous findings by Gavi Alliance, which suggested a reappraisal of the national polio vaccination strategy. They further emphasized the need for all stakeholders to be involved in the polio eradication effort; with a focus on integrating polio vaccination into the general baby vaccination programme, and strengthening existing health systems. Vaccination services also need to be part of the healthcare intervention package within primary healthcare centers and taken to the children through outreach clinics. In summary, results indicated that the majority of Nigerians were aware of the Government’s policy on Immunization; and about 9 in 10 Nigerians agreed that immunization is beneficial to the health and wellbeing of children. The results also pointed out that the most Nigerians did not agree with the controversial view that the polio vaccines have negative effects on the reproductive health of children neither did they support the killing of health workers. Also, the key suggestions given to improve the current immunization program were to have better & effective communication strategies to educate the public on the benefits of immunization and to gain the support of religious and political leaders to champion immunization schemes. Given the recent media report regarding the recent recorded confirmed cases of polio, there is urgent need for relevant stakeholders to re-strategize by improving on past success and creating new efficient system targeted at completely eradicating the polio virus from Nigeria. Such involvement in programs should help to create mass appeal and provide weight to correct the misconceptions and myths surrounding immunization programs, particularly the polio vaccine. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted on the week of 4th March, 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 4%. NOI Polls Limited is Nigeria’s leading opinion polling and research organization. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/how-polio-returned-to-nigeria/158649.html [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4139536/ [3] www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2015/nigeria-polio/en/ [4] www.premiumtimesng.com/…/208484-nigerias-polio-free-certification-suffers-setbac…

As another year comes to an end, people are looking forward to celebrating in different ways so as to relax and kick start the 2016 calendar year. Most Nigerians (57 percent) have stated that they will be ‘staying at home to relax’ during the end of year festivities, whereas 27 percent confirmed that they ‘will be travelling’ during the period. More findings revealed that majority of Nigerians (76 percent) anticipate a general rise in prices of ‘food’ (60 percent), ‘transportation’ (22 percent), ‘clothes’ (15 percent) and the cost of ‘fuel’ (1 percent) amongst other items this festive season. Furthermore, a higher proportion of Nigerians (38 percent) have revealed the current state of the economy ‘will minimize their end of year spending’, while 35 percent stated that ‘it will increase their end of year spending’ (35 percent) amongst other effects. Nonetheless, Nigerians wish one another ‘peace & prosperity’ (31 percent), ‘Merry Christmas & Happy New Year in advance’ (16 percent) amongst other festive compliments. Background December 2015 marks another end of the year festive season. It is a period for different celebrations, from parties to carnivals, social gatherings, family/school reunion, annual sporting, cultural fairs and art events. Majority of Nigerians also make use of this holiday period to travel to their home towns and villages, to reconnect with family and friends.[1] Against this background NOIPolls conducted this special edition poll to explore the plans and expectations of Nigerians for the 2015 end of year festive season. This poll results release further trends current results with results of the first, second and third editions conducted in December 2012, 2013 and 2015. Key Findings To gain insight on the plans of Nigerians during the end of year festivities, respondents were asked: What are your plans for the holiday? Most Nigerians will be ‘staying at home to relax’ during the end of year festivities as revealed by 57 percent of respondents surveyed, whereas 27 percent acknowledged that they ‘will be travelling’ during the period. More analysis by geo-political zone revealed that the North-East accounted for the highest number of Nigerians who will be staying at home to relax, while the South-East had the highest number of respondents who will be travelling. On the other hand, Nigerians who would mostly be staying at home during the festive period are aged 61 years (67 percent). When current findings are compared to responses from the previous poll conducted in 2014, it reveals a 6-points increase in the proportion of respondents who will be staying at home to relax and a 2-points decline in the percentage of Nigerians who will be traveling during festive season. To gauge the perceptions of Nigerians on possible rise in prices, respondents were asked: Do you anticipate a general rise in prices during this festive season? Findings revealed that Nigerians anticipate a general rise in prices this festive season as confirmed by 76 percent of respondents and this cuts across gender, geo-political zone and age-group. On the contrary, 20 percent responded negatively to this question. Trend analysis shows a significant 8-points increase in the proportion of Nigerians who anticipated a general rise in prices in 2015 (76 percent) from 2014 (68 percent). Respondents who anticipated a general rise in prices were further asked: Which item do you anticipate will experience a price increase? ‘Food’ (60 percent) tops the list of items most Nigerians anticipate a general rise in prices. This is followed by ‘transportation’ (22 percent). Other items mentioned include ‘clothes’ (15 percent) and the cost of ‘fuel’ (1 percent) amongst other items. Analysis by gender reveals that more female (64 percent) than male (55 percent) respondents indicated food as one of the items they will anticipate a rise in price. Comparing current results with the poll conducted in 2014 revealed a substantial 8-points increase in the proportion of Nigerians who anticipated a general rise in the food item. On the other hand, there was a 7-points decline in transportation. Subsequently, respondents were asked: How would the current state of the economy affect your end of year spending? A larger proportion of Nigerians (38 percent) stated that the current state of the economy ‘will minimize their end of year spending’ and majority (49 percent) of respondents in this category are from the North-East zone. This is closely followed by respondents who stated that ‘it will increase their end of year spending’ (35 percent) and most of the respondents (48 percent) in this category are from the South-East zone. In order to ascertain what Nigerians wish fellow citizens this festive season, respondents were asked: What do you wish your fellow Nigerians this festive season? Findings revealed that Nigerians wish one another ‘peace & prosperity’ (31 percent), mostly from respondents (59 percent) in the North-East zone; ‘Merry Christmas & New Year in advance’ (16 percent) amongst other festive compliments. Trend analysis from 2014 indicates that the number of people who expressed ‘Peace and prosperity’ wishes further decreased by 8- points in 2015. The end of year poll result has revealed that almost 6 in 10 Nigerians have stated that they will be ‘staying at home to relax’ during the end of year festivities, whereas 27 percent confirmed that they ‘will be travelling’ during the period. More findings shows that 38 percent of Nigerians ‘will minimize their end of year spending’ while 35 percent lamented that ‘it will increase their end of year spending’ amongst other effects. Finally, Nigerians wish one another ‘peace & prosperity’ (31 percent), ‘Merry Christmas & Happy New Year in advance’ (16 percent) amongst all other festive greetings. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of December 14th 2015. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. 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 To further explore data from Nigeria governance polls Please visit www.noi-polls.com [1] http://www.total-facts-about-nigeria.com/nigeria-christmas.html

Abuja, Nigeria. May 23rd, 2017 – Today marks the United Nations Day to End Obstetric Fistula worldwide. The day is meant to raise awareness on obstetric fistula and mobilize support around the globe. This year’s theme is “hope, healing, and dignity for all”. Although Obstetric Fistula, a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, is mainly caused by prolonged obstructed labour; it could also be a long-term health risk caused by types 1, 2 and 3Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)[1]. While a direct association between FGM and obstetric fistula is yet to be established, given the causal relationship between prolonged and obstructed labour and fistula, and the fact that FGM is also associated with prolonged and obstructed labour it is reasonable to presume that both conditions could be linked in women living with FGM. In view of the above and the 2017 Day commemoration, NOIPolls presents a throwback from itsFemale Genital Mutilation (FGM) poll conducted in February, 2017,which basically assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Nigerians towards the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria. The poll showed that 64 percent of respondent nationwide established that FGM was not prevalent in their locality while 36 percent disclosed that there are various degrees of prevalence within their communities; with a high level of prevalence experienced across Ondo, Kwara, Enugu, Delta, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Ondo, Cross-River, Anambra and Niger states. While this was deemed as a low number (36 percent) in comparison with results from other countries such as; Somalia (98 percent), Guinea (96 percent), Djibouti (93 percent), Egypt (91 percent), Eritrea and Mali (88 percent each) and Sierra Leone and Sudan (88 percent each) which reported higher prevalence of FGM[2], as revealed by a study undertaken by UNICEF, it still highlights the need for a call to action to completely eradicate this practice in Nigeria. Furthermore, the poll also revealed that while 88 percent of respondents nationwide were not in support of the practice, 12 percent were in support of the practice of FGM and residents from the south-west zone accounted for the largest proportion of respondents whom were in support of the practice. Additionally, the poll revealed that 48 percent of Nigerians supported the practice on the grounds that it helped to prevent promiscuity in women, while another 33 percent supported the practice of FGM because it is traditional and its practice protects their tradition from going extinct. Finally, the poll revealed that 22 percent of the respondents did not support FGM practice because it led to health complications, while 18 percent had regarded the practice as unethical. These were some of the key findings from the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) poll conducted in the week commencing February 13th, 2017. Brief Background Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) otherwise known as female circumcision is a tradition whose origins would be difficult to trace as it is practiced all over the African continent. FGM is the partial or complete removal of the external part of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. There have been widespread interventions aimed at reducing and changing the perception of the world about FGM, yet, the practice still lingers. According to a United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, in Sub Saharan Africa; Nigeria, Sudan, Mali and Ghana have been labelled as practicing the worst type of FGM. Various reasons were given by those who practice it ranging from culture, religion to superstition.[3] According to the United Nation Population Fund, an estimated 200 million girls and women alive today are believed to have been subjected to FGM and those who have experienced FGM live predominately in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab States. In Africa, FGM is practiced among certain communities in 29 countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.A few years ago, there were public sensitization campaigns against the practice of FGM which gained momentum and attracted global interest after the World Health Organization (WHO) study which associated the practice of FGM with increased risk of adverse obstetrics outcome.[4] Despite the various campaigns to discourage the act, it continues to be widespread in many parts of the world. According to health experts, the instant health consequences of FGM are infection and excessive bleeding also known as hemorrhage which can have a drastic effect enough to threaten life. Long term effects such as sexual dysfunction, menstrual and fertility problems, difficulties with childbirth and psychological damage are also reported.[5] In many countries, there are laws that forbid the practice of FGM, yet studies have shown that the practice is still persist despite an increased awareness and increased general negative attitude towards it. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its latest poll to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Nigerians towards the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Excerpts of Findings from the NOIPolls survey on FGM Findings from the poll revealed that the majority of respondents (64 percent) affirmed that the practice of FGM was not at all prevalent within their communities and localities. Residents from the North-West (79 percent) and the North-Central (78 percent) zones had the highest percentage in this category while the South-South zone with 39 percent had the least. In addition, the poll also revealed that 65 percent of respondents aged between 18 – 35 years formed the largest proportion of those who confirmed that the practice of FGM was not at all prevalent in their vicinities and this could be an indication of a gradual phasing out of the practice. Furthermore, 29 percent stated that the practice was somewhat prevalent while 5 percent and 2 percent of the respondents stated that the practice of FGM was very prevalent and extremely prevalent in their localities respectively. The South-South (54 percent), North-East (32 percent), South-East and South-West zones (30 percent each) had the largest proportion of Nigerians who reported that the act is somewhat prevalent and some of the specific states in these zones includes Cross-River, Delta, Adamawa, Borno, Ebonyi, Anambra, Ondo and Ogun states respectively. Some of the L.G.As where this practice is particularly prevalent are; Moro, Ilorin-south, Ilorin-north in Kwara state and Akure-North and Akure-South in Ondo state. Others are Ika-south, Ughelli, Warri-south, Sapele and Aniocha-south all in Delta state. The poll also evaluated the support of Nigerians for Female Circumcision and the results show that most of the respondents surveyed (88 percent) say they are not in support of the practice in the country; and this also cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-group. However, 12 percent expressed their firm support for the practice of FGM, particularly amongst respondents in some South-West (19 percent) and South-East (15 percent) states; as well as senior citizens aged 60 and above (19 percent). Respondents who disclosed their support for female circumcision were further probed to state their reasons and 48 percent stated that ‘it prevents women from being promiscuous’, respondents from the North-west zone accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians in this section with emphasis on Kano state. This was followed by 33 percent who mentioned that ‘it is our tradition’ and respondents in this category would rather not abolish their tradition and Adamawa state had the highest percentage in the North-East. Additionally, 8 percent mentioned that ‘it has no health complications’ and the 7 percent ‘it aids easy child delivery’. However, on the flipside, the United Nation Population Fund believes that the practice of FGM has been medically proven to have serious implications for the sexual and reproductive health of girls and women, with attendant issues such as infibulation, severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, tetanus or other infections, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissues, wound infection, urinary infection, fever, anemia and septicemia among other complications during childbirth. Similarly, respondents who did not support the practice justified their position with the following reasons: ‘It creates health complications’ (26 percent), ‘it is unethical and unnecessary’ (23 percent), ‘it is against our religious beliefs’ (14 percent) and ‘it is a harmful practice’ (13 percent) amongst other mentions. In conclusion, the poll has shown that a significant proportion of the population (88 percent) did not support the practice, 12 percent of respondents polled were absolutely in support of the practice, with reasons to justify their positions on both sides of the divide. Additionally,36 percent of respondents acknowledged the prevalence of FGM in various parts of the country. The poll not only established that the practice of FGM still persists in states such as Ondo, Kwara, Enugu, Delta, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Cross-River, Anambra and Niger, it also revealed that at least 9 in 10 Nigerians would support any legislation that would seek to abolish the practice of FGM. Finally, with the findings from this poll, it can be deduced that more work needs to be done in the area of sensitization and enlightenment on the dangers and negative side-effects of this practice. Moreover, it was highlighted in the poll that there are deep-seated socio-cultural beliefs and innuendos that form the bedrock for the continued support of the practice in several communities, particularly in the rural and semi-urban areas. It was therefore recommended that a multi-stakeholder approach, involving medical practitioners, state & local government officials, federal & state ministries of health, traditional rulers, indigenous healthcare attendants, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and the general public; be adopted to address the issue in a cross-cutting manner. The media, development partners and the third sector all have a huge role to play in designing, funding and implementing sensitization campaigns to get the message, especially to the grassroots, where the practice is mostly prevalent. Survey Methods This opinion poll was conducted in the week of February 13th 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geo-political zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls 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 smart phone. 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.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/health_consequences_fgm/en/ [2] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/06/what-is-female-genital-mutilation-where-happen [3] https://www.unicef.org/media/files/UNICEF_FGM_report_July_2013_Hi_res.pdf [4] http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/fgm/fgm-obstetric-study-en.pdf [5] http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/health_consequences_fgm/en

Abuja, Nigeria. February 7th, 2017 – Latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls, which focused on the Kaduna crisis, have revealed a high sense of insecurity in Kaduna South senatorial district as reported by 44 percent, which formed the majority of the residents interviewed. Also, 34 percent of Kaduna residents confirmed that they have either lost a family member or a friend during the crisis, a deeper analysis by senatorial districts show that Kaduna South had the highest number of residents (51 percent) who recorded a loss, this is unsurprising as it the hotbed of the conflict. This figure is quite worrisome as it reflects not only the high state of insecurity in Southern Kaduna but also the huge loss of lives incurred during the period of the conflict as it was reported that about 800 people lost their lives and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. More findings also revealed that some of the causes of the recent conflicts in southern Kaduna were due to religious differences (38 percent), farmers and herdsmen misunderstanding (26 percent) and political differences (14 percent) amongst others. These findings further indicate that there is an urgent need to control religious intolerance and also solve the farmers and herdsmen crisis in the affected area in order for the citizens to enjoy undiluted peace that would in turn bring about growth and development of both the region and the nation. An assessment of Kaduna State’s residents also revealed that 45 percent rated the response of the security agent good or satisfactory when compared to other stakeholders, giving a majority hope and a good sense of security for their lives and properties. Interestingly, 60 percent stated that the security situation in Kaduna State has improved very much compared to two years ago and another 56 percent affirmed that they feel secure in their present location regardless of the conflict. Lastly, as recommendations to prevent future conflicts in the state, residents advocate that the government should improve security in the state (35 percent), preaching of religious tolerance and peace (28 percent) and dialogue between religious leaders and stakeholders (12 percent) amongst other remedies. Therefore, the military base that was set up in Zango Kataf local government area is in line with the people’s thoughts and would go a long way to douse the crises rocking Southern Kaduna in recent times.[1] In addition, there should be a thorough teaching of religious knowledge, from the primary level in all the national schools, with a special focus on tolerance. These were some of the key findings from the Southern Kaduna Conflict poll conducted in the week of February 1st, 2017. Brief Background The Southern Kaduna conflict has continued unabated over a period of three decades and half, during which many lives and properties were lost on both sides of the ethnic and religious divide. The 2011 post-election era witnessed an increase in these kinds of attacks in the state. The conflict has been designated as an ethno-religious crisis given that villages and towns in the southern part of the state have continued to experience incessant attacks by faceless groups. These constant attacks have recently ravaged suburbs and villages in Jama’a Local government area and other councils within the southern Kaduna territory; once again, lives and properties were lost and residents of the affected and neighbouring communities were forced to flee their homes.[2] The most recent attacks occurred before the yuletide season of 2016 and it is rumoured to have only ended recently having gained the attention of the international community. Across the Nigerian social and traditional media, there have been various theories regarding the cause of this conflict ranging from political/religious and ethnic differences to the trans-border nomadic culture of herdsmen and growing activism of host communities, especially the younger generation who may have been told stories regarding previous conflicts thereby fuelling and promoting hate amongst parties involved in the crisis.[3] Other theories as to the reason for the conflicts were; negligence or slow response on the part of the state government and the government at the centre, religious bigotry and ethnic chauvinism, especially expressed through the condemnation of others. The present government of the state has described as untrue the thoughts that the attacks in the southern part of the state is an orchestrated plot against Christians; stating that attacks are being carried out by some armed bandits that have been terrorising some states in the northern region.[4] Another interesting theory as to why this conflict keeps re-surfacing has to do with some groups stating that religious leaders have been spreading false information on the unfortunate Southern Kaduna attacks and killings to amass foreign donations in order to enrich themselves.[5] At the moment, there seems to be a return to normalcy as the military has recently established a base in the troubled area with the intention of restoring peace and security. In view of this background, NOIPolls conducted a survey to gauge the perception of the residents of Kaduna state regarding the conflict in Southern-Kaduna; with the objective of finding out the cause of the perennial conflict and suggest ways to avert future occurrences. Survey Findings The survey was solely focused on Kaduna State residents and as a screener question, 8 percent of the residents who claimed that they were not aware of the Southern Kaduna conflicts had their interviews terminated at this point. However, 92 percent affirmed that they were aware of the crisis continued their interview. Further findings revealed that out of the 92 percent that are aware of the conflicts, 38 percent disclosed that religious differences served as the background that triggered the conflict and there are more female (48 percent) than male (27 percent) respondents who gave this assertion. Similarly, those aged 61 years and above had the highest percentage (56 percent) of the respondents who believed that the conflict erupted due to religious differences. In addition, 26 percent mentioned that the crisis occurred as a result of the lingering misunderstandings between the farmers and the herdsmen on the basis of grazing lands and water sources disputes. The combination of a growing cattle population, the effects of climate change on the availability of water and forage crops, as well as the lack of access to some North-Eastern foraging grounds due to the Boko Haram crisis could contribute to the increasing tensions between farming communities and Fulani herdsmen. Also, 14 percent attributed the cause to political differences among the elites whereas, 11 percent stated that it was because of ethnic differences. Some other mentions include ‘insecurity’ (2 percent), ‘sectarian differences’ (2 percent), intolerance and self-interest (2 percent) as the major cause of the conflict in Southern Kaduna among others. The survey also assessed the direct impact of the conflict on the residents and results revealed that 34 percent of the respondents confirmed that they had either lost a family member or friend during the conflict. This figure is rather worrisome as it reflects not only the high state of insecurity in Southern Kaduna but also the huge loss of lives during the period of the conflict as it was reported that about 800 people lost their lives and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. This is further supported by an analysis based on senatorial district which revealed that more residents (51 percent) from Kaduna South senatorial district (51 percent) recorded the highest percentage of Kaduna residents who lost either family member or a friend. Subsequently, the poll sought to gauge the perception of Kaduna state residents regarding the responses of some stakeholders in the state in resolving the conflict and the poll revealed that a larger proportion (45 percent) of the respondents reported that the ‘security agencies’ response during the conflict was good and this is closely followed by those who mentioned ‘religious leaders’ (44 percent) while the ‘government’ had the poorest rating as declared by 44 percent of the respondents. An overall analysis of these findings show that the respondents had some level of satisfaction on the responses of the security agencies and religious leaders while respondents were not satisfied with the response of the government in resolving the conflict. Therefore, it is clear that a lot more needs to be done on the part of the government in preventing and resolving conflicts that may arise in the future. The poll further sought to get the perception of Kaduna residents on the state of security over the last 2 years and analysis shows that 60 percent of the residents affirmed that the security situation in the state has relatively improved within the last 2 years. It is worthy to note that during the course of this survey, respondents disclosed that they are safer especially at night as they can stay late at night without fear of being attacked. On the contrary, 27 percent of the residents think that the state of security has not improved and respondents from Kaduna South senatorial district accounted for the largest proportion of respondents in this category. The survey also gauged the extent to which the conflict has affected the residents’s sense of security in their present location and findings revealed that 56 percent (which formed the majority) of the respondents stated that they feel secure at their present locations despite the conflict and this assertion was made mostly by residents from Kaduna North senatorial district (68 percent). On the other hand, while 11 percent stated that they feel somewhat secure, 33 percent of the resident, which are mostly from Kaduna South senatorial district (44 percent), indicated that they do not feel secure in their present location. This reflects the perception of the residents of Kaduna and the need to create adequate security in the areas affected by the conflict as well as using diplomatic means to establish peace between the conflicting parties. Lastly, the poll also sought to find out the expectations of Kaduna residents on what can be done to prevent these conflicts from re-occurring in the future and the larger proportion (35 percent) advocated that the government at all levels should improve on security in the affected area. This substantiated the recent move by the government to site a Forward Operation Base of 2 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State for a quicker response should such conflict rear its ugly head in the future.[6] The perceived influence that many religious leaders may have on their congregation has also made 28 percent of the residents to advocate for the preaching of religious tolerance and peace as a preventive measure. Similarly, 12 percent called for a dialogue between religious leaders and various stakeholders to address the misunderstanding that has led to the conflicts among other remedies mentioned. Conclusively, the recent poll results have revealed that 38 percent of the Kaduna state residents disclosed that the recent conflict in the Southern Kaduna was caused by religious differences, while 26 percent blamed the cause on farmers and herdsmen misunderstanding. The poll also revealed that 34 percent confirmed that they lost a family member or a friend to the conflict. More findings revealed that most Kaduna state residents rated the responses of the security agencies high (45 percent), when compared to other stakeholders during the conflict while 30 percent of the respondents feel secure in their present location. Also, the populace of Kaduna state believe that future occurrences can be prevented if government would consider improving security (35 percent) and if religious tolerance and peace is preached (28 percent) among other suggestions. Finally, it is of utmost importance for the government to address the famers/herdsmen issues while other stake holders work to promote religious tolerance especially at the grassroots level and among the several religions practiced in the state. There should be a full commitment to peace and security by the concerned personnel and the perpetrators of these should be found and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent for others. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of February 1st 2016. It involved telephone interviews of a random Kaduna State sample. 500 randomly selected phone-owning Kaduna residents aged 18 years and above, representing the three senatorial districts in the state, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 4%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/222592-southern-kaduna-crisis-nigerian-army-lays-foundation-battalion-zango-kataf.html [1] http://sunnewsonline.com/southern-kaduna-massacre-in-season-of-festivity/ [1] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/01/southern-kaduna-crisis-escalated-makarfi/ [1] https://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/250794/kaduna-govt-insists-violence-religious-conflict [1] https://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/252365/religious-leaders-southern-kaduna-crisis-enrich-group [1] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/222592-southern-kaduna-crisis-nigerian-army-lays-foundation-battalion-zango-kataf.html

Abuja, Nigeria. March 3rd, 2015 – A survey commissioned by British Council and conducted by NOIPolls Limited revealed a low level of awareness of creative sector events by Nigerians (both on-going and future) (45 percent), while attendance to such events is even lower (23 percent). The survey results further revealed that most Nigerians (50 percent) learn about events in the sector through word-of-mouth; and given that referrals can only be useful if people attend these events, there is need to by several means, increase attendance at these events. Organizers may need to employ methods such as increased media adverts, reduced cost/barrier of entry, free giveaways, etc. to boost attendance. More findings from the survey revealed that the majority of the respondents (80 percent) watch movies and listen to music (88 percent); showing more preference for Nollywood movies and Gospel music. 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; where most of the respondents mainly 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 of advertising and creating awareness especially for events and organizations in the Creative Industry. Finally, the use of appropriate art work/displays in public spaces plays 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. Brief Background The culture in Nigeria is well demonstrated through the art works produced indigenously. The Nok culture believed to be one of the ancient human settlements in Nigeria produced art that depicted life of the people in this region.[1]The terracotta figures produced – which are characteristic of the Nok culture – flourished from 500 B.C. to 200 A.D.[2] Other art works which became iconic and prominent Nigerian art works include: the Igbo-Ukwu bronzes, metal works of Ile-Ife, wood carvings from Benin and Awka, pottery from Imo and Niger states, to mention but a few. Besides art works, Nigeria has also gained prominence with her literary works including works from authors such as Ben Okri, Niyi Osundare, chimamanda adichi, Chinua Achebe, and the first African Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka. However, art was not introduced formally into tertiary level curriculum until 1922, which was due to numerous efforts spanning several decades from artists like Aina Onabolu. Several years later art in Nigeria would gain more relevance resulting in the creation of the position of art adviser to the President. Several universities such as the University of Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University, and Yaba College of Technology among others helped showcase the image of art with the prolific works of many iconic critics.[3] However over time, art programs in the formal education sector has undergone numerous challenges ranging from merging Art Departments under the Faculty of Environment Sciences and taking a more “scientific” approach to art which is more of a humanistic study, to the dwindling number of art students in universities across the country. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted the survey on the creative industry in Nigeria on behalf of British Council to assess the nature and behavior of art audiences, the consumption patterns of creative sector products by Nigerians and other such trends. Key Findings When Nigerians in the target locations were asked if they have attended any creative sector events or programs in recent times, only 23 percent acknowledged they had attended such events. The majority (77 percent) indicated they have not. A greater proportion of females (81 percent) than males (74 percent) indicated they have not attended creative sector events or programs before. 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 have 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 have attended a carnival before. 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 have attended an event or program claimed they heard of it by word-of-mouth, indicating that word-of-mouth is the most prevalent way Nigerians who have 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 watch films/movies, an overwhelming majority (80 percent) of indicated they watch films/movies. However, when the results were analysed be 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 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 listen to music. However, only 58 percent of respondents over 60 years of age indicated 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 group analysis. Again, from the proportion that 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 learn about creative sector events by word-of-mouth, therefore attendance at these events need to be increased if word-of-mouth referrals are to increase. Innovative avenues such as reducing the cost of entry, increasing media adverts, free giveaways at events, etc. should be explored. Also advertising through social media proves to have a wide outreach especially among young adult Nigerians. This medium has the advantage of providing persuasive textual information such as graphics, pictures, images, etc. which other mediums like word-of-mouth, and radio cannot provide, which should be explored some more as internet usage in Nigeria is about two-thirds. Lastly, some art 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. For the telephone surveys, the sample size was proportionately stratified by gender and age to represent actual population distribution resident in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Calabar. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa 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.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/

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/

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

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

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.