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Abuja, Nigeria. May 8th, 2018 – Following the recent documentary by the BBC[1] on widespread abuse of cough syrup with codeine, titled “Sweet Sweet Codeine”; and the subsequent ban on the importation and sale of codeine as an active pharmaceutical ingredient in Nigeria, NOIPolls presents results and findings from its previous public opinion poll on the prevalence of drug and substance abuse in Nigeria. The poll which corroborates the findings from the BBC documentary revealed that 91 percent of Nigerians believe that there is a high level of drug and substance abuse in the country. In addition, the poll found that marijuana, codeine and alcohol are the top three drugs and substances mostly abused in Nigeria, particularly amongst the teenagers and young adults aged between 15 – 29 years. In line with the above report, the Nigerians Senate, during its plenary in October 2017, raised alarm that 19 Northern states of the federation were under serious threat due to the high level of drug abuse encountered in across these states. According to vanguard news report, the lawmakers further lamented that an estimate of over three million bottles of codeine syrup were consumed daily in Kano and Jigawa states alone.[2] It further disclosed that in 2015 alone, over 2,205 people were arrested in the North-West geo-political zone by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over drug-related abuses.[3] Nigeria’s drug abuse problem has been put under the spotlight by this new investigative documentary. Across several major Nigerian cities, many young adults are known to be addicted to several illicit drugs but, in recent times, opioid-based cough syrups in particular have become a serious menace. In 2013, a public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls revealed that drug and substance is prevalent in the country and this assertion cuts across gender and geo-political zones. The opinions of Nigerians on drugs or substances that are most abused in Nigerians revealed that Marijuana (34 percent), codeine [Cough syrup (22 percent)] are the most abused drug and substance. Residents from the North-East accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who mentioned codeine. Codeine is an addictive opioid that is often prescribed to treat pain and is mixed in with some cough syrups. Although legal in certain circumstances, consuming large amounts of it can cause addiction and organ failure. According to media report, though the codeine is imported, the syrup is made in Nigeria by more than 20 pharmaceutical companies and codeine syrup is commonly mixed with soft drinks and often consumed by students. NAFDAC has been fighting this epidemic and in a recent raid, it seized about 24,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a single lorry in Katsina State.[4] Perception on age-group showed that those aged between 15 – 29 years accounted for the largest proportion (90 percent; (15 – 18 years) 33 percent + (19 – 29 years) 57 percent) of Nigerians associated with the abuse of various drugs and substances in the country. For instance, according to news reports, the target market in the illicit codeine trade typically consists of teenagers and young adults looking for a cheap high. Although it is illegal to sell codeine cough syrups without a doctor’s prescription, these drugs remain widely available as it is common to find them casually consumed, sometimes as part of mixtures, at local bars and parties. The thousands of young Nigerians already addicted are at risk of suffering from effects of sustained opioid abuse ranging from schizophrenia to organ failure and the issue is slightly higher in the Northern region where millions of young adults are unemployed.[5] In conclusion, the poll revealed that 90 percent of Nigerians acknowledged that there is a high level of drugs and substance abuse in Nigeria particularly amongst teenagers and young adults aged between 15 and 29 years. The top three drugs or substances commonly abused by this age demographics are Marijuana, Codeine (cough syrup) and alcohol. Although the Federal Government has recently banned the importation and permit for issuance of codeine in the country, the ban alone is not enough considering that most banned items have always found their way back into the black market. Moreover, there are many other dangerous and addictive substances outside of codeine that are still freely consumed on the streets of Nigeria. Tackling this menace requires a multi-pronged approach and collaboration amongst parents/guardians, school and religious authorities and all stakeholders in the medical and health sector. Parents and guardians must be aware of the happenings in their wards’ lives and become more involved while Government must not only create rehabilitation centres for addicts, there is a need to work with the health practitioners, stakeholders like NAFDAC and SON to regulate these opioid substances and enforce strict punishments to defaulting pharmacies and dispensaries. Teachers can be trained to enable them educate their pupils and students about the dangers of substance abuse and addiction. It is therefore pertinent for parents, government, school authorities, religious organisations, NGOs, and other stakeholders to synergise efforts towards developing sustainable polices and effective counselling and rehabilitation centres to manage addicts from the bondage of drug abuse. Policies should include the establishment of a federal drug control centre, under the auspices of the ministries of health and internal affairs with the aim of collating information on drug use and liaising with similar smaller units in each state. Lastly, public education on the effects of drug and substance abuse should be targeted at the vulnerable segment of society, such as the older children, adolescent and young adults, and should be carefully presented through open campaign rallies in public places like motor parks, NYSC camps, Universities, and other institutions of higher learning including Mosques and Churches. 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]British Broadcasting Corporation [2]https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/10/drug-abuse-3m-bottles-codeine-consumed-daily-north-senate/ [3] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/10/drug-abuse-3m-bottles-codeine-consumed-daily-north-senate/ [4] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43961738 [5] https://qz.com/1266823/bbc-investigates-nigeria-codeine-opioid-crisis-from-cough-syrups/

Abuja, Nigeria. May 1st, 2018 – International Workers’ Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries is a celebration of labourers and the working classes promoted by the international labour movement which occurs every year on May 1st. In commemoration of Worker’s Day, NOIPolls reflects on findings from one of its past poll on issues facing Nigeria, conducted in January 2018 which revealed job creation (39 percent) as the top priority on citizens’ list of what government should focus on in 2018. This is no surprise as unemployment has been one of the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian economy snowballing into other socio-economic issues such as poverty and insecurity amongst others. Moreover the issue of unemployment has maintained an upward rising trend over the years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s unemployment rate rose from 14.2 percent in Q4, 2016 to 18.8 percent in Q4, 2017. Not to mention youth unemployment rate in Nigeria which increased to 33.10 percent in the third quarter of 2017 from 29.50 percent in the second quarter of 2017.[1] Furthermore, while the onus is on the government to create jobs especially through an enabling environment for SMEs to thrive, there is a clear indication that Nigerians are willing to explore various opportunities in tackling the issue of unemployment.  In revealing their aspirations for 2018 (shown in figure below), majority (33 percent) of Nigerians indicated that they would love to start up a new business or expand their businesses for those who already have businesses, further buttressing the high rate of unemployment  in the country.[2] The result also portrayed that some Nigerians are either not employed or are not satisfied with their present state of employment as 19 percent disclosed that their goal for 2018 is getting a job or to have a change of job. In view of the May Day celebration, reflection on workers welfare especially in the area of minimum wage is also pertinent as this plays a huge role in incomes among families at the bottom of the income distribution as well as the poverty rate. A poll conducted on workers welfare in 2011 poll showed that Nigerians believed that the minimum wage of ₦18,000 naira was inadequate hence they clamoured for an upward review to ₦56,000 naira. Seven years following the outcry of Nigerians though the opinion poll on minimum wage, it still stands at ₦18,000 in 2018. While government is working towards a new minimum wage, it is important for an urgent implementation of necessary steps towards improving workers welfare in Nigeria. In line with this, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, during a dinner and award night organised to mark the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) 40th Anniversary celebration held in Abuja in March, 2018, stated that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the new National Minimum Wage meets the present economic realities. Finally, as Nigerians join the world in celebrating worker’s day, it is pertinent for government to address issues pertaining to job creation, minimum wage and welfare of Nigerian workers.[3] An important line of action the government needs to adopt in creating jobs through an enabling environment would be to address Nigeria’s infrastructure issue; especially in the area of adequate power supply as this would naturally incentivise the spring of more SMEs and attract more foreign investors. This will in turn lead to more employments opportunities in the country. Another critical line of action which needs to be considered is the revival of the agricultural sector with an emphasis on improving the image of agriculture in Nigeria to attract youth participation; employing greater use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); partnership with the private sector; easy access to land and credit in order to generally make agriculture more lucrative. These would go a long way in tackling the issue of unemployment especially for the Nigerian youths as well as create opportunities for multiple streams of income even for the employed. 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://tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/youth-unemployment-rate [2] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/nigerias-unemployment-rate-rises-14-2-18-8/ [3] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/260265-nigerian-govt-says-new-minimum-wage-will-meet-economic-realities.html

Abuja, Nigeria. April 24th, 2018 – The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) report released for Q1, 2018 has revealed that the CCI declined from 70.5-points in Q4, 2017 to 65.6-points signifying a 4.9-points decrease. This decrease indicates that confidence among Nigerian households to spend declined in Q1, 2018. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index mirrors consumers’ attitudes on present and future economic prospects forecasting business conditions and likely developments for the months ahead. Since the strength of a nation’s economy is demonstrated by the willingness of its consumers to either spend or incur debt, the decrease experienced from the results obtained in Q1, 2018 may have a direct impact on the flow of business activities in the country. The two variables that make up the CCI; the Present Situation Index (PSI) and the Expectation Index (EI) both experienced a decline. The PSI experienced an 11.6-points decline from the results of Q4, 2017 (50.6-points) to stand at 39-points in Q1, 2018. Similarly, the EI declined by 5.6-points to stand at 79.9-points. These are the key highlights from the Q1, 2018 Portfolio of Indices Press Release. In February 2014, NOIPolls Limited introduced its portfolio of indices; the NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI), the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) and the NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index (EBCI). The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index measures factors impacting on the lives of everyday Nigerians; thereby producing a complete view of the individual’s personal well-being. The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index provides consumer assessments of the economic situation and their intentions and expectations for the future. The NOIPolls Eagle 30 Business Confidence Index measures business leaders’ perceptions and expectations about the Nigerian business environment using the top 30 companies in the country. Nigerian businesses, financial and government agencies largely depend on their perceptions and micro assessment of consumers’ expectation in making decisions. At best, they draw conclusion on the business environment based on information from their immediate surroundings while the minorities conduct surveys that are time and money consuming. However, the introduction of these indices provides indicators that will ensure stakeholders can detect and respond to changes in consumer behaviour, the economy, and the business environment in Nigeria. This report presents the Q1, 2018 results for the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI). THE NOIPOLLS CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX (CCI) The NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) in Q1, 2018 experienced a decline of 4.9-points to stand at 65.6-points. This may indicate a dip in the purchasing confidence of citizens which is capable of hindering economic activities in the country. There are two variables that make up the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index; the Present Situation Index (PSI) and the Expectation Index (EI). The Present Situation Index (PSI) measures the current perception of consumers regarding their previous months’ purchasing power. Although the PSI experienced a decline of (11.6-points) from the results, the index remains firmly above average. Also, the Expectation Index, which measures consumers’ perception of their future (3 months), declined by 5.6-points to stand at 79.9-points. The figure below shows the year on year Q1 results and Q1, 2018 recorded a better PSI and overall CCI compared to other years in view; whereas, Q1, 2017 had the highest points on expectation indices. The PSI and EI comprises of 7 variables and five out of the 7 variables experienced a decline. The current prices of goods and services and the economic indices accounted for the highest decrease of 16.5points and 10.4-points respectively. These are highlighted below; Current Economic Situation Index – 39.2 The Current Economic Situation Index is the second highest decline. It decreased by 10.4-points to stand at 39.2-points compared to the result obtained in Q4, 2017. Expectation of the Country’s Economic Situation Index –93.9 This index declined by 1.6-points to stand at 93.9 in Q1 2018, signifying that consumers are hopeful about the country’s economic situation. Current Employment Condition Index – 53.7 The Current Employment Situation index declined by 0.9-point to stand at 53.7 in Q1, 2018. Expected Employment Condition Index – 98.0 This Index increased by 0.8-point to stand at 98.-points in Q1, 2018. Current Prices of Goods and Services Index – 24.0 The Current Prices of Goods and Services Index experienced the highest decline of 16.5-points in Q1, 2018. Expectation of Prices of Goods and Services Index – 81.3 The Expectation of Prices of Goods and Services Index declined by 1.4-points to stand at 81.3-points in Q1, 2018 signifying that consumers are anticipating a future reduction in the prices of goods and services. Expected Total Family Income Index – 69.2 The Expected Total Family Income Index increased by 4.3-points to stand at 69.2-points in Q1, 2018. TREND ANALYSIS Trend analysis revealed that the CCI, PSI and the EI all declined from results obtained in Q4, 2017. Monthly trend analysis showed that the CCI experienced a steady decline since February 2018. In conclusion, the NOIPolls Consumer Confidence Index declined by 4.9-points in Q1, 2018 to stand at 65.6 from the 70.5 point obtained in Q4, 2017. The CCI is a vital tool which helps in predicting consumer spending patterns as they may affect the overall economic activities of Nigeria. Therefore, when consumers are confident of their futures, their propensity to spend increases which in turn drives higher economic growth, however, if consumers are not confident, as revealed by this data, they tend to save rather than spend and perhaps constrain economic growth. The decline in the CCI of Q1, 2018 could be mainly driven by a rising pessimism amongst Nigerian households in regard to their views on current economic conditions. This result shows that consumer expectations concerning future economic developments have declined modestly. Survey Methods The Consumer Confidence Index Poll was conducted in Quarter 1, 2018. The CCI involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 3,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com and you can downlaod our mobile 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

Abuja, Nigeria. April 17th, 2018 – Quality education has its greatest testimony as being the means of developing human intelligence and skills needed to produce wealth and sustain a suitable and democratic society. Education is very vital especially in sharpening the mind and increasing the knowledge of an individual thereby facilitating positive impacts in the society. The current state of education in Nigeria has remained a matter of concern as it has consistently ranked low in world rankings[1] and is continuously plagued by inadequate funding and corruption. The challenges in the nation’s education sector is mostly experienced in the two most important phases of education; primary and secondary schools where pupils are at their formative stages and require the best foundation of education. The sector has also been affected by the frequent political unrest which has generated negative effects on the education system. For example, the Borno State Government recently closed female boarding schools in 25 out of its 27 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state to forestall abduction of school girls by the Boko Haram insurgents.[2] The West African Examination Council (WAEC) recently announced the results of the first series of the new diet of its January/ February series of the 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for Private Candidates in Nigeria and it revealed that 83 percent of the candidates who wrote the examination failed.[3] This failure, which could directly be attributed to the decline in the quality of education in Nigeria, corroborates findings from a past poll on education which was conducted by NOIPolls in 2016. The poll revealed that 60 percent of Nigerians blamed the country’s poor education system as the main reason for the increasing desire to obtain foreign degrees by Nigerian students, in spite the huge cost of schooling abroad, with reasons ranging from a higher standard of education, to job opportunities, and a higher standard of living. Despite constant agitations by citizens for a considerable improvement in Nigeria’s education sector, providing quality education has continued to be a problem in the country. This creates huge impact on employability thereby increasing the rate of unemployment in Nigeria. Furthermore, according to global standards, factors that hinder the achievement of quality education in Nigeria have been identified by stakeholders in the education sector as poor funding of the sector by the government, poorly planned and obsolete curricula and poor remunerations of teachers. These and other factors have been militating against the provision of standard education in Nigeria. In assessing academic performance, job excellence and societal contributions of Nigerians who studied abroad, the poll showed that respondents believed that Nigerians who studied abroad are better off in these three attributes than their local counterparts as shown in the figure below. In conclusion, investment in education needs to become much more efficient, requiring the government to prioritize the education sector since it is considered as key to economic prosperity and has been highlighted as the best possible way for combating global poverty, diseases and ensuring sustainable development. Therefore, the government should collaborate with some international partners to achieve major educational transformations in the Nigerian education system. The involvement of major stakeholders in the Nigerian education sector, with a good compliment by international agencies, NGOs, foundations, will be essential if the goals and potential of quality education are to be realized in Nigeria. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/world-ranking#survey-answer [2] http://punchng.com/bharam-borno-shut-female-boarding-schools-in-25-lgs/ [3] http://punchng.com/83-of-candidates-fail-2018-wassce-2/

Abuja, Nigeria. April 10th, 2018 – April 6th was declared the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2013 and has been celebrated each year since 2014. It is an annual celebration of the power of sports to drive social change, community development and to foster peace, tolerance and understanding. From time immemorial, sports has led a vital role in the world, whether it is in the form of competitive sports, physical activity or play.  All forms of Sports have been widely used as a tool to achieve cost effective and great results in humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts by governments in various countries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), development agencies, sports federations, armed forces, the media, etc. Therefore, in some societies, sports has been considered as an important investment, particularly in developing countries. Sports has the capacity to foster unity and peace and can also enhance self-development, hence, it can be explored as a great way to unite a polarized society like Nigeria. Sports also help individuals to maintain healthier and more disciplined lifestyles. These can transform to wealth in the Nigerian societies because when united, the nation can achieve more and it is only a healthy and disciplined people that can be productive at school and at work.[1], Given the potentials of the Nigerian sports sector in fostering peace and development, it is currently riddled with various challenges ranging from corruption to a lack of funding, a non-functional nationwide sports policy to drive the vision of sector amongst others. In line with this, in a “Nigeria @ 57” interview with BusinessDay in October 2017, Mitchel Obi the President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Africa, stated that the Nigerian sports sector has remained unchanged in terms of growth and development from 1960 till date. The sports veteran also said “It’s sad that at this stage, the leadership of this country does not consider sports as a catalyst for her developmental effort; that is the fundamental draw back. Sports is a veritable attraction for the teeming Nigerian youths.”[2] In commemoration of the 2018 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, NOIPolls reflects on findings from its past football poll conducted in August 2017. Some of the key highlights from the poll revealed that most (53 percent) Nigerians claimed that they do not follow the indigenous Nigerian Premier League (NPL) and 25 percent of those who do not follow the NPL said it was because they do not find it interesting, compared to the English Premier League (EPL). Also, Nigerians gave suggestions about what should be done to improve the NPL followership; these include ‘Adopt ideas from foreign leagues’ (18 percent), ‘Ensure better welfare of players’(10 percent) and ‘Eradicate politics and corruption’ (10 percent), amongst others. The economic and socio-cultural impact of football, like every other form of sports, cannot be overemphasized. There is no doubt that the Nigerian sports industry has struggled for attention and investments over the years as the Nigerian government has invested very little in sports, a lot more has to be done to get more investments from the private sector to completely revitalize the league so that it can start yielding positive results. Any support from the government to the sports industry must be professionalised and transparent with clear targets set that to drive enterprise. The government can also use sports to engage the set of demography that are poorly-educated, poorly skilled and unemployed, whose population has increased exponentially, from the grassroots via elementary schools through to professional classes. This can translate to direct job creation within those categories as athletes, sportspersons, trainers, agents, coaches, referees, sports writers, mediators, and other sports officials or administrators, etc. Furthermore, as the report has revealed that most Nigerians barely follow the NPL because it is not interesting, the Nigerian government needs to study and emulate the kind of financial support that other foreign governments give to their sports industry. Such support would bring about positive changes in the Nigerian sports industry which would in turn rekindle the interest of the Nigerian masses in the various sports competition we have around. For example, the British government gives the Football Association (FA) about 30 million pounds yearly, as a form of support for the development of the local (grassroots) game[3]. In the same manner, if the Nigerian Premier League gets such support from the government, it is likely to interest the populace and garner more followers which would in turn bring about economic gains. The issues of lack of funding, allegations of bribery against match officials and insecurity are some of the major factors bedevilling the sector which government must curtail quickly.[4] Finally, there should be some level of engagement between the leading sports players and the nation’s top economic brains to find common grounds. The government through the Sports Ministry also needs to formulate policies and reforms that would encourage a mutual public-private sector partnership for sports to be seen as part of the plans for a post-oil economy as it is capable of salvaging the dire situations the nation is currently in. The sports industry has an almost infinite power not only as a unifying factor but to also add real gross value to the GDP of the nation, thereby, engendering development. Also, as various opportunities are being explored in the sports industry of the country, rapt attention must be placed on gender parity by promoting female oriented sports too because viewership for women’s sports is significantly lower than men’s. The degradation of women in male-dominated sports needs to stop, making it imperative to recognize and celebrate female sports as well, so as to entrench gender equality in the industry. In a nutshell, since sports is recognised as an important enabler of sustainable development, the Nigerian sports industry needs an urgent revitalisation so that the role of its local sports can be recognised for ‘social progress’ according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. 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 polled 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.theguardian.com/global/2016/apr/06/sport-is-the-most-unifying-tool-for-peace-in-the-world [2] http://www.businessdayonline.com/nigeria-57-poor-policies-hindering-sports-development/ [3] http://www.thefa.com/news/2014/dec/08/fa-welcomes-government-grassroots-cash-boost [4] https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/03/18/challenges-facing-nigerian-league/

Abuja, Nigeria. March 28th, 2018 – In commemoration of World Water Day, which holds annually on the 22nd of March, NOIPolls in partnership with WaterAid conducted an opinion poll on access to clean water. The poll explored the accessibility of clean water to Nigerians, the quality and treatment of drinking water and the types of challenges faced in accessing clean water. The poll revealed that borehole is the primary source of water for a larger proportion of Nigerians both for domestic use (50 percent) and drinking (37 percent). According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), this source of water supply is mainly classified as an improved source of water supply.[1] While it falls under the purview of government at all levels through the Ministry of Water resources to provide water, the reverse is the case as Nigerians provide their own water through the construction of boreholes. This alternative source of water appears to constitute a looming danger for Nigerians as most of these boreholes are exposed to underground pathogens and pollutants especially E-coli which cause diarrhoeal diseases, which are also contributing factors to malnutrition and child mortality. Findings from the opinion poll revealed that 66 percent of Nigerians do not treat their water in any form before drinking regardless of the source, mainly because they believe the water is good enough to drink (16 percent). On the other hand, 34 percent who treat their water before drinking it mostly adopt boiling (49 percent) the water as a method of purification. On access to clean water, 37 percent of Nigerians lamented over the challenges they face in accessing clean water in their households and the negative impacts this has on their spending and health. According to the World Bank, accessing clean water is a major factor in reducing child mortality.  In Nigeria alone, around 60, 000 children under the age of five die each year from diseases caused by the nation’s poor levels of access to water, sanitation and hygiene. Also, according to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), Nigeria has 67% water coverage. Lastly, it is imperative that the three tiers of government, stakeholders and international support agencies synergize their plans and strategies to ensure that all Nigerians have access to clean potable water in their homes by reviving all water boards across all states in the country and resuscitating dormant water plants. These are some of the key findings from the Access to Water Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week of March 19th, 2018. Survey Background and Objectives Safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether it is used for drinking, domestic use, food production or recreational purposes. Improved water supply and sanitation, and better management of water resources, can boost countries’ economic growth and can contribute greatly to poverty reduction. In 2010, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation. Everyone has the right to sufficient, continuous, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use[2]. Earlier definitions of access to clean water required only that a person would be deemed to have clean water if they had access to a water source that was built to protect the water from contamination, such as a pump or a covered well. However, the new set of definitions set by the United Nations has set the vision higher – for every household to have its own water source available when needed, and which is regularly tested to make sure it is safe. According to figures from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) – a body set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organization to collate data on water and sanitation coverage – Nigeria has 67% water coverage. However, accessibility, availability and quality vary widely in countries such as Nigeria with national averages masking significant inequalities between subnational regions. For instance, in Nigeria, only 30% of the poorest people have clean water compared to the 89% of the richest people with access to clean water. New data linking water access to household wealth also shows that, even in countries making progress, there are still vast discrepancies between richest and poorest[3]. Nigeria features third on the list of top ten countries with lowest access – by population – to clean water close to home. However, the country is also fourth on the list of the top ten countries most improved in providing water access – by number, since 2000 and eight on the list of the top ten countries most improved in access to water – by percentage points[4]. WaterAid is fully behind the vision and ambition of the United Nations to ensure that everyone achieves the human right to safe water and toilets. In view of this background, NOIPolls in partnership with WaterAid conducted this survey in commemoration of World Water Day to gauge the perception of Nigerians regarding their access to water. Survey Findings Water is an irreplaceable commodity that has many physical properties distinct from those possessed by other liquid, gaseous, or solid materials existing on the earth’s surface. Water as a desirable resource is greatly needed by humanity for virtually all of its activities, and the importance of its quality for domestic consumption cannot be overemphasized. Domestic water should be of the highest quality, while water meant for other forms of uses can be of good quality. It is a vital need and the most important element to humankind apart from the air man breathes. Based on the above, respondents were asked of their primary source of water supply and 50 percent of those interviewed disclosed that their main source of water supply for household use is borehole and residents from the South-South accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who asserted to this. Other primary sources of water mentioned include; protected dug well, piped water and tanker-trucks/ water vendors amongst other sources. Subsequently, although the water we drink might appear clean, it most likely contains some harmful micro organism. Findings from this report revealed that majority (66 percent) of Nigerians do not treat the water they drink. This cuts across both genders, age-groups and a further analysis by geo-political zones showed that the North-East zone had the highest (73 percent) proportion of Nigerians who do not treat their water prior to drinking. On the other hand, 34 percent of respondents claimed that they treat their water to make it suitable for drinking. The South-West zone had the largest (48 percent) percentage of respondents who stated this. Furthermore, the 34 percent who considered their water unsafe to drink mentioned several ways or methods they employ in treating their water. The majority (49 percent) disclosed they boil before drinking. This method is particularly perceived by many as the most efficient method of purification because a lot of organisms cannot survive when water reaches its boiling point of 212o Fahrenheit or 100° C. Although, some experts have suggested that boiling might not necessarily make the water safe to drink, because some microbes still survive high temperatures. However, the time taken to heat the water to boiling is usually sufficient to reduce pathogens to safe levels[5]. The South-East zone accounted for the largest (74 percent) proportion of respondents who boil their water to make it safe. In the same manner, 19 percent stated that they add chlorine or bleach to make their drinking water safe. This method is another effective way if boiling is not possible but it has been advised that the end result might not be attained if the right amount of the bleaching agent is not used or if the bleach contains soaps, perfumes, or dyes. The South-West (33 percent) and the South-South (29 percent) zones have the largest percentage of respondents who add chlorine or bleach to their drinking water to make it safe. Other methods of treatment employed by the proportion of respondents who treat their drinking water is ‘using water filters’ (10 percent), ’letting it stand and settle’ (9 percent) amongst others. It is surprising that half (50 percent) of the respondents who do not treat their water before drinking disclosed that they believe the water, regardless of its source, is safe enough to drink and majority (80 percent) of the respondents in this category are from residents in the North-East zone. This simply infers that they might have been consuming water that is harmful to their health, hence, prone to water borne diseases. Also, 16 percent, who claimed not to treat the water they drink, asserted that drinking unsafe water does not harm their health and the South-West zone had the highest (43 percent) share of respondents here. In the same manner, while 15 percent affirmed that they deemed it unnecessary for them to treat the water they drink, 9 percent mentioned that they buy sachet water for drinking’ (9 percent). These reasons stated above call for the undertaking of a majorly grassroots sensitization and awareness campaign by the stakeholders involved for a general enlightenment of citizens on the dangers inherent in the consumption of unsafe water as  a safe and healthy society directly translates to a healthy economy. On current sources of drinking water, the survey revealed that 37 percent of Nigerian households at present get their drinking water from boreholes and this assertion is mostly from residents in the North-East zone.  This implies that almost 4 in 10 Nigerian households have their source of drinking water as boreholes. More analysis revealed that 34 percent of Nigerians keep-up with their daily drinking water needs from bottled or sachet water sources. In addition, 10 percent revealed that they currently get their drinking water from piped water amongst other sources. On challenges in accessing clean water, analysis revealed that 37 percent of Nigerian households currently have challenges accessing clean water and this is mostly prevalent in the northern region; North-West and North-Central to be specific. On the contrary, 63 percent of Nigerians do not see access to clean water as a challenge to their households. On the impact of lack of access to clean water, 31 percent, which formed the majority, mentioned an increase in their spending as the main impact of this lack, as they are forced to buy water daily with their rather scarce resources. Additionally, 30 percent of the respondents stated that it has affected their health and it can be inferred that this category of respondents are more likely to face unsafe water related ailments such as typhoid fever, diarrhoea, cholera etc. due to the consumption of unsafe water. Also, the poll revealed that 18 percent of the respondents stated that they have to travel far distances to source for water amongst other related impacts of lack of access to clean water. In conclusion, the poll has shown that access to safe and clean water for both domestic use and for drinking is still a challenge to most Nigerian households as borehole is widely used as the primary source of water supply despite some of its long-term effects. Health experts have affirmed that unsafe water has a lot of health implications and 30 percent of those who have challenges in accessing clean water have decried the impact of unsafe water on their health. Poor water supply is a major means for transmission of typhoid fever, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, and other water-borne diseases. Therefore, in order to meet the 6th Goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which is to ‘Ensure Access to Water and Sanitation for all’, government at all levels needs to urgently provide funds for the provision of improved quality of water and water sources to the citizenry. Finally,though the provision of water supply is capital intensive, it is still a basic necessity for the well-being of Nigerians. Therefore, Public-Private-Partnership programs should be encouraged to attract investors in order to ensure adequate production, distribution and sale of potable water to all. Above all, the Federal Government should fully implement the provisions of the approved 2000 Nigeria’s National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy. Please click here for full report. Survey Method The poll was conducted in the week commencing March 19th, 2018. 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 or download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. WaterAid is working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 34 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25.8 million people with clean water and 25.1 million people with decent toilets. 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://washdata.org/monitoring/drinking-water [2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs391/en/ [3]http://www.unwater.org/new-publication-whounicef-joint-monitoring-programme-2017-report/ [4] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2017/launch-version-report-jmp-water-sanitation-hygiene.pdf [5] https://data.unicef.org/data/drinking-water-sanitation-hygiene-database/

Abuja, Nigeria. March 20th, 2018 – The United Nations (UN) World Happiness Day is observed on the 20th of March annually. The day aims to recognize the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals in the lives of people around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. The main theme for 2018 is “Share Happiness – focusing on the importance of relationships, kindness and helping each other”. The day also recognizes the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all people. In commemoration of the 2018 World Happiness Day, NOIPolls reflects on findings from its past poll on Personal Well-Being conducted in Q4 2017, which highlighted the satisfaction of Nigerians with respect to various aspects of lives as seen in the chart below. Though the Economic, Standard of Living and Achievement in Life indices were the lowest ranked indicators, the Social Interaction Index which is a vital aspect of happiness was ranked highly and experienced an increase of 1.9-point from Q3, 2017 to stand at 79.4-points in Q4, 2017. This corroborates a report released by a United Kingdom based charity Age UK in 2017, which revealed that staying social is one of the key ways of staying happy. Social activities such as going to the cinema, joining a sports club, or getting involved in a volunteer group are some of the most effective ways of boosting feelings of happiness and well-being, as well as overall health.[1] In line with the Day, the World Happiness Report released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations on March 14th 2018, ranked Nigeria the 91st happiest nation in the world and 5th in Africa. As revealed by the report, Nigerians seem to be happier now, as the country moved up from her previous position of 95th at the global level and 6th in African in 2017.[2]  Nigeria’s position in the World Happiness Report has shown that despite the economic and security challenges being faced in the country, her citizens strive to remain happy. This substantiates the Q4, 2017 Personal Well-Being Index which revealed a high ranking in social interaction (79.4-points) and health (76.4-points) indices despite the low ranking of the Economic, Standard of Living and Achievement in Life indices. In conclusion, the above goes to show that Nigerians can achieve even greater feats if key government policies tackling mental health, happiness and permanently putting to an end the security and economic crisis in the country are formulated and strongly implemented. 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.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/international-day-of-happiness-2018-how-science-says-you-can-get-happy [2] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/nigeria-is-5th-happiest-country-in-africa-91st-in-world/ [1] http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/international-day-of-happiness-2018-how-science-says-you-can-get-happy [2] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/nigeria-is-5th-happiest-country-in-africa-91st-in-world/

Abuja, Nigeria. March 13th, 2018 – The International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed annually on March 8th and it is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights worldwide. The aim of the day is to achieve global gender equality and the 2018 theme #PressforProgress indicates the need to press forward for the progress of achieving gender parity in the world. In commemoration of the IWD, NOIPolls conducted a poll to assess the perception of Nigerians on leadership capabilities and political representation of women in Nigeria. The poll revealed that 91 percent of adult Nigerians acknowledged that there is a huge gap in  gender equality especially in political representation, mainly due to cultural norms and religious beliefs (29 percent). This is no surprise considering that certain historic values shaped by societies, passed on from generations  have over the years spelt out specific expectations from women in terms of attributes and behaviours such as the creation of gender specific roles . This has led to the labelling of some jobs and/or roles as ‘women’s work’ and ‘men’s work’ both in the household and in the wider community such as in workplaces, as well as in leadership, governance and politics. Interestingly, the poll results also revealed that majority of Nigerians (85 percent) believe that women make great leaders and this assertion cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-groups. These findings may have been influenced by visible outstanding success stories of  some past and present female leaders  in Nigeria and the world at large. For instance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (former Minister of Finance in Nigeria and currently one of the 28-member Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization – GAVI), Amina J. Mohammed (Former Minister of Environment in Nigeria and the present Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations), Mo Abudu (renowned media mogul and founder of EbonyLife TV) and Stella Adadevoh (the doctor who died putting her life on the line to save Nigerians from Ebola epidemic) amongst other great Nigerian women have made impact with their leadership qualities over the years. Given this positive perception of Nigerians on Women’s leadership capabilities, a critical issue of concern would be whether this translates into the much desired behavioural change and cultural shift which would shape a more positive narrative for gender equality in Nigeria. Nonetheless, gender equality change agents can capitalise on this positive stance as a soft landing for acceptance of change initiatives. While these change agents are already working hard towards achieving gender equality in Nigeria and around the world, with some milestones being achieved; the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report revealed that it will take about 217 years before the global gender parity is achieved. Thus, there is need for more progressive synergised long-term strategies by stakeholders to tackle the barriers to equality, especially those centred on culture and religion. These are the key findings from the International Women’s Day Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing March 5th, 2018. Brief Background: International Women’s Day is held on the 8th of March of each year and it is a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements and calls for gender equality. The day has been observed since the early 1900s and aims to bring together governments, women’s organizations and charities. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievement without regards to division, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. The theme for 2018 is #PressforProgress which encourages every woman, including stakeholders, to press for progress towards achieving gender equality. In Nigeria, historical evidence had proved that women have for long been playing crucial role in the political life of the country and women have contributed in no small measure in shaping the political system of the country. However, over the years, women have been relegated to the background especially in political representation. This is largely due to the fact that Nigerian politics is highly patriarchal in nature, with men often in lead of the political affairs and women sometimes occupying insignificant postilions. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted this poll to gauge the perception of Nigerians on gender equality, especially in political representation. Survey Findings: The first question aimed at gauging the leadership skills of women and the findings revealed that an overwhelming majority of adult Nigerians acknowledged that women make great leaders. This affirmation cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age-groups, with each demography having over 75 percent of the respondents admitting that women make great leaders. On gender equality in Nigeria, the poll revealed that slightly more than 9 in 10 (91 percent) adult Nigerians stated that there is gender inequality in the country especially in political representations. The North-East (97 percent) and the North-West (95 percent) zones accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who think there is gender inequality in the country. On the contrary, 9 percent of the respondents nationwide believe that there is gender equality in the country and residents from the South-East zone (25 percent) had the largest proportion of Nigerians who made this assertion. More findings from the poll revealed that majority of the respondents who think that there is gender inequality blamed cultural norms and religious beliefs (29 percent). Also, 17 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that gender inequality exists in Nigeria is because women are perceived to be weak and lack the capacity to lead amongst all other mentions. On the other hand, respondents who think that there is gender equality were further asked to state the reason for their assertion and most respondents (37 percent) stated that there is gender equality as they notice lots of women in politics in Nigeria. 25 percent also mentioned that women have equal constitutional rightd in the country  while 16 percent of the respondents mentioned that representation should be by merit and not gender. In conclusion, the findings from this poll have shown that there is a huge gap in gender equality in Nigeria as stated by 91 percent of the respondents across gender, geo-political zones and age groups; citing cultural norms and religious beliefs as the major obstacles.  Also, 17 percent mentioned that there is no gender equality in Nigeria because women are perceived to be weak and lack the capacity to lead, considering them as subordinate to their male counterparts. Contrarily, 9 percent of the respondents claimed that there is gender equality mainly because they perceive that a lot of women now participate in politics however, it is still a far cry from the larger proportion (91 percent) who believe that women have little or insignificant political representation in the country. Therefore, existing forms of gender inequality in Nigeria must be addressed and this underlines the need for a deliberate, sensitive, consistent and systematic approach of gender relations which should include gender mainstreaming in all aspects of life. If the concept of democracy allows for diversity of opinion and participation of different groups in Nigeria, then, the same should not exclude women and this can be influenced by passing the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill (GEOB) by the legislative arm of the government. Finally, the results revealed that majority of Nigerians, 85 percent, affirmed that women make great leaders. Hence, this is a clarion call on all women to wake up to their responsibility of taking the fore front position especially at participating in politics so that they will have a fair share of representation in the polity. Women should defy the general believe that they are best suited as home keepers only and start to take part in decision making. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of March 5th 2018. 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%. The demographic distribution of the respondents is divided into the following groups: Gender, age-group, and geo-political zones as illustrated below. The demographic distribution remains the same as 2016. Gender: The proportion of male and female respondents was almost equal with 51 percent and 49 percent respectively. Age-Group: The age-group with the highest frequency was 36-60 with 49%, followed by the 18-35 age-group with 47%. The lowest age-group represented was 60+ with 4%. Geo-Political Zones: All geo-political zones were represented in the survey. The zone with the highest representation was the North-West with 24% while the South-East zone had the lowest representation with 12%. Occupation: The majority of the respondents surveyed were self-employed traders (39%); followed by Government workers/Civil servants (22%). The lowest represented occupation in the survey were Youth Corpers and Religious Leaders/Missionaries (1%). 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 and you can download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com

Abuja, Nigeria. March 6th 2018– In August 2015, Nigeria experienced a Lassa fever – acute viral haemorrhagic fever – outbreak. In its rapid emergency response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Health adopted the double strategy of treating those affected by the outbreak, as well as carrying out sensitization to raise Nigerians’ awareness about the disease. Consequently, in 2016, NOI Polls in partnership with EpiAfric conducted an opinion survey to ascertain Nigerians’ perception regarding the Lassa fever disease. The survey sought to determine their level of awareness of the disease, its symptoms and mode of transmission, as well as their awareness on possible preventive measures. On the backdrop of the 2016 Lassa Fever Virus Disease Opinion survey, NOI Polls in partnership with EpiAFRIC conducted another opinion survey to assess Nigerians’ level of awareness, with the singular aim of comparing results from both surveys in order to determine how the awareness of Nigerians has changed between 2016 and 2018. A total of 1000 respondents were interviewed in both the 2016 and 2018 surveys, respectively. All geo-political zones were represented in the survey; the proportion of male and female respondents was almost equal; age group surveyed spanned 18 – 60+ years; respondents were traders, civil servants, National Youth Service Corp members and religious leaders. The 2018 survey revealed a sustained high level of awareness about the outbreak though with a percentage drop compared with the 2016 survey. Radio provided the most awareness, a sharp contrast to the previous survey where TV topped the list of sources of awareness about the disease. Rat infected food remained the most identified source of infection even though it dropped from the number of respondents who identified it as the most source of infection. In general, the 2018 survey results reveal a widespread decline in Nigerians’ perception of the Lassa Fever disease. There is also a 15 percent decline in respondents’ level of confidence in their local hospitals and a 9 percent drop in respondents’ perception of the sensitization efforts being carried out by the Ministry of Health on the Lassa Fever disease. The most recent weekly epidemiological report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) shows “913 suspected cases of Lassa Fever reported from across 17 states. Of this, 272 cases have been confirmed positive and 54 deaths recorded giving a case fatality rate (CFR) of 21%”. Following the increasing number of Lassa fever cases reported from several States across the country, the NCDC has activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate the response to the outbreak on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health. To show its commitment to working with agencies and partners to ensure that this outbreak is brought under control, the NCDC is collaborating with several organisations to support the response in the affected States. To further demonstrate government’s commitment, to tackling the challenges facing the health sector, an emergency council of health meeting with the aim to deliberate on the state of public health in Nigeria, was organised by the federal ministry of health. The council approved 12 key resolutions (attached) which will be implemented across all states in Nigeria. Results from the 2016 and 2018 surveys indicate that awareness of Lassa Fever, as well as awareness of mode of transmission and what to do to prevent the disease is high. Unfortunately, this does not seem to translate to behavioural changes. Foods are still being dried in the open and people still exhibit poor attitudes to refuse disposal. Health education at the community level, behavioural change communication and proper waste management are effective primary prevention measures. Health workers must observe the strictest standards of infection prevention and control protocols in handling patients suspected of being infected. They must adopt the test and treat practice especially when they suspect a patient has malaria. Please click here for the full report. NOI Polls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion surveys and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com or download our mobile app NOI Polls on your smartphone. EpiAFRIC is a globally competitive, efficient, transparent and financially sustainable African health consultancy group working to improve population health through expert research and data analytics, project design and evaluation, health communication, advocacy and training. Visit www.epiafric.com for more information.

Abuja, Nigeria. February 27th, 2018 – A new report released by NOIPolls to evaluate the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called Petrol has revealed an urgent need for petrol price monitoring across the nation as 86 percent of petrol purchasing Nigerians buy above the official pump price of ₦145 per litre with an average price of ₦199 per litre nationwide. This finding is in line with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) petrol price watch report which revealed that Nigerians buy petrol at an average of ₦191 per litre in January, 2018.[1] Although petrol scarcity appears to have ended especially in Lagos and the FCT, news reports have revealed that motorists in most states in Nigeria buy petrol at prices far above the official ₦145 per litre. In line with this, the Chairman of Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPMAN), Mr. Dapo Abiodun, informed the Federal Government, during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the recurrent and persistent fuel crisis in Abuja on January 3rd, 2018, that petroleum marketers could no longer sell petrol at ₦145 per litre mainly due to the rise in crude oil prices as a result of Hurricane Harvey in the US. He further explained that it led to a sharp increase in the landing cost of petrol which made the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) the sole importer of petrol in the country.[2] Furthermore, despite NNPC being the sole importer of petrol in the country, this poll has revealed that out of the 72 percent of Nigerians who buy petrol, 56 percent disclosed that they buy petrol from independent marketers’ filling stations where petrol is sold above the official rate of ₦145 per litre. It is therefore pertinent that all the stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, especially the Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR), intensify efforts towards price monitoring exercises to ensure that products allocated to each State of the federation are dispensed to buyers at the official pump price. These are the key highlights from the recent poll conducted to evaluate petrol scarcity across the country. The poll was conducted in the week commencing February, 5th, 2018. Brief Background In the last quarter of 2017, petrol scarcity resurfaced as long queues were seen in filling stations in most cities in Nigeria and petrol hawkers lurked around the major roads to sell petrol to willing buyers. The scarcity was allegedly due to the pronouncement of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) to embark on a nationwide industrial action, scheduled to commence on the 18th, December 2017. It triggered panic buying across the country thus the return of long queues. While most petrol stations did not have petrol, the few ones that had sold above the official pump price of ₦145 per litre[3].The resulting impact of this scarcity was evident in the rise in transportation fares by almost 100 percent, which could also be attributed to the preparations for the yuletide season.[4] Similarly, on January 31st, 2018 precisely, it was rumoured that the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had given a 15 day ultimatum as it threatened to stop dispatching petrol at some depots due to the bad state of some roads in the country. This further made petrol remain in short supply, with attendant high prices as it was alleged that some marketers were hoarding the product to make more money.[5] Experience has shown that there is always a corresponding rise in the prices of goods and services whenever there is either an upward review of petrol price or scarcity in Nigeria. It is not different in this regard, as there have been a lot of complaints from Nigerians about the exorbitant price of petrol as a result of the petrol scarcity in the country. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted a poll to monitor the current price of petrol across the country. SURVEY FINDINGS The first question gauged the proportion of Nigerians who buy petrol and findings revealed that a vast majority (72 percent) of adult Nigerians confirmed they buy petrol, this may be either for their vehicles or to power other petrol powered machines such as generators, grinding machines etc. This response cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age groups with each demography having over 50 percent of the respondents indicating that they buy petrol. Poll results revealed that most Nigerians (56 percent) buy petrol from Independent Marketer’s filling stations and residents from the South-East had the highest percentage of respondents in this category with 78 percent representation. While 23 percent mentioned Major Marketers’ filling stations, it is interesting to note that 12 percent of the respondents buy from Black Market sellers (Street Hawkers) and only 9 percent indicated that they buy from the NNPC Mega Stations. The prevailing price of petrol was also ascertained and results revealed that an overwhelming proportion (86 percent) of Nigerians disclosed that they buy petrol above the official price of ₦145 and this assertion cuts across gender, geo-political zones and age groups with each demography having over 70 percent of the respondents indicating that they buy petrol above the official price in their respective region. Further analysis revealed that of all the various prices mentioned by respondents, Nigerians buy a litre of petrol for an average price of ₦199 nationwide. Also, residents in the North-West zone pay the highest average price of ₦221 for a litre of Petrol, while the respondents resident in the South-West zone pay the lowest average price of ₦179 per litre. In conclusion, this poll has revealed that although petrol scarcity seems to have disappeared, most Nigerians buy petrol above the official price of ₦145 per litre and at an average of ₦199 per litre nationwide. Also, the poll finding has shown that majority of Nigerians buy petrol from Independent Marketer’s filling stations across Nigeria and almost all of the respondents claimed that they buy at a price that is above the pump price. This is a wakeup call for the NNPC, DPR and other government parastatals in charge of monitoring and regulation to ensure that the official pump price of ₦145 per litre is strictly adhered to by the marketers and to also make certain that they continue to arrest and prosecute marketers found to be involved in the hoarding and diversion of petroleum products. Finally, the NNPC, Major marketers and Independent marketers must synergize to resolve the issues resulting in price challenges which had made the dispensing prices vary among various marketers of the product. Survey Method The poll was conducted in the week commencing February 5th, 2018. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com or download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents polled 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.pulse.ng/news/local/nbs-says-nigerians-buy-petrol-at-n191-litre-id8002109.html [2] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/subsidy-removal-caused-fuel-scarcity-dapman/ [3] http://thenationonlineng.net/ngige-pengassan-shelve-planned-strike/ [4] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/253319-two-days-christmas-fuel-scarcity-worsens-across-nigeria.html [5]http://nnpcgroup.com/PublicRelations/NNPCinthenews/tabid/92/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/955/Dont-Engage-in-Panic-Buying-We-are-Engaging-Petroleum-Tanker-Drivers-Says-NNPC.aspx

Abuja, Nigeria. February 20th, 2018 – The recent suggestion and support by the Vice President and the 36 state Governors for the creation of State Police is in line with the opinions of Nigerians as captured in a past survey conducted by NOIPolls in 2017. The survey revealed that a larger proportion of Nigerians (61 percent) pledged their support for the creation of state police as shown in the figure below. The clamour for State Police in Nigeria surprisingly got a boost on Thursday February 8th 2018, when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo publicly backed the call for the decentralisation of the Nigerian Police during a National Security Summit organised by the Nigerian Senate in Abuja. According to the Vice President, “We cannot realistically police a country the size of Nigeria centrally from Abuja. State police and other community policing methods are clearly the way to go”[1]. It is worth noting that the North-West (69 percent), the North-East (68 percent) and the North-Central (65 percent) zones accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who showed their support for the creation of state police. This is not surprising as these regions have had a fair share of security challenges. For instance, the high occurrence of cattle rustling in the North-West, Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, and the farmers and herders’ clashes in the North-Central have continued to pose serious security challenges to the inhabitants of these regions; not to mention the loss of lives and properties as well as displacement of people. Reflecting on this finding, the CEO of NOIPolls, Dr. Bell Ihua, stated “This shows that our leaders are now listening to the opinions of Nigerians”. He further noted that “…security has been a major challenge and calls for proactive measures that will take into account the views of Nigerians in tackling these security challenges”. Also supporting the creation of state police, the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on behalf of the 36 state governors, declared support for the creation of state police in the country during a two-day summit organised by the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Review of Current Security Infrastructure in Nigeria[2]. The continued security challenges that have engulfed Nigeria has proven that securing Nigeria’s land mass and its over 180 million people requires more equipment and personnel who are more familiar with the indigenes and terrain to help detect and uproot any emerging crime. Furthermore, the creation of state police would foster a close relationship within communities, thereby enhancing greater information sharing with the police. Also, the issue of familiarity which hinders effective information sharing between law enforcement and members of the public would be overcome. For instance, residents of Borno state are more likely to be familiar with a Cameroonian from the Extreme North region than they would be with a Nigerian from the South-South. In other words, sending an Ijaw policeman, who is a neither resident nor an indigene, to serve in Borno is not the most effective way of policing a society. On the other hand, in terms of implementation of state police, all the states in Nigeria may not be able to afford an optimum police force mainly based on varying Internally Generated Revenue capacities. For instance, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Nigeria Poverty Profile in 2012, a state like Lagos has a poverty rate of 8.5 percent, compared to Yobe which has a poverty rate of 90 percent.[3] Therefore, these numbers clearly show that the quality of the state police force will differ from state to state based on economic disparities. In conclusion, it is worth emphasising an important aspect of the 2017 survey by NOIPolls which revealed that a significant proportion of Nigerians support the clamour for state police. The reasons are not far-fetched as some of the stakeholders in the security sector in Nigeria have decried the suitability of a unitary police system in curbing security issues, especially those matters that are peculiar to some regions. Although, some segments of Nigerians have pointed out some challenges that might militate against setting up state police in Nigeria such as poor funding, misuse or hijack by politicians to hunt down perceived political enemies, operational deficiencies in dealing with crime, and possible clash with the federal police at some instances. A consensus can be reached where the responsibility of each establishment (Federal and State Police) would be clearly spelt out. Therefore, the most essential aspect of state police creation is the formulation of legal frameworks that would guide and moderate the modus operandi of the state policing system so that it would not be abused in the manners that are stated above. 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.businessdayonline.com/state-police-desirable/ [2] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/258416-nigerian-governors-back-state-police.html [3] http://bulwarkintelligence.com/reports/security-threats/son-of-the-soil-the-case-for-state-police/

Abuja, Nigeria. February 13th, 2018 – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Radio Day is observed on 13th February annually. The day aims to improve international cooperation between broadcasters, and to encourage major networks as well as minor radio communities to promote public access to information and freedom of expression. The main theme for 2018 is “Radio and Sports” and this is further divided into three sub-themes; “Diversity in Sports Coverage”, which highlights how radio can promote diversity in sports through coverage of “traditional” and grassroots games enabling people to “reconnect” with their cultural heritage. Secondly, “Gender Equality in Sports Coverage”, focuses on the role of sports coverage in shaping stereotypes and norms about gender and how radio may have the ability to promote a balanced coverage of men and women’s sports. Finally, the third sub-theme, “Peace and Development through Sports Coverage”, puts emphasis on the ways sports coverage can promote peace and development initiatives, values of non-violence as well as solidarity and tolerance.[1] In the light of this, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, speaking during the lead up to this year’s celebration stated that radio reaches the widest audience in the world and that in an era of dramatic advances in communications, radio has retained its power to entertain, educate, inform and inspire. He further stated that radio can unite and empower communities and give voice to the marginalized as well as recognizing the many ways in which sports broadcasting brings people together in excitement and hopes for achievements.[2] In commemoration of the 2018 World Radio Day, NOIPolls reflects on findings from its past poll on sources of information for Nigerians conducted in August 2017, which highlighted radio (50 percent) as the most important source of information amongst other sources, as seen in the chart below. From time past, radio has been known to be a critical tool for information disemmination and communication; playing a major role in the development of the nation, especially in the rural areas. Moreover, it is popular as a result of its wide reach to a heterogeneous audience; and it remains the most appropriate for a rural population (56 percent) mainly due to cost and accessibility by an audience with varying levels of literacy. The upswing of new media (commonly known as social media), boosted by advanced information technology devices and increasing internet penetration was expected to bring the reign of radio as the most common source of information to an end. While the trended chart below highlighted a dramatic increase in the use of social media from 2007 to 2015, radio still remained the main source of information in Nigeria. In 2015, radio declined by a significant 24-points when compared to 2013, nevertheless, it remained the most common source of information within that period and in recent data. In line with the findings above and the theme for the 2018 day, radio stations in Nigeria can act as a medium for promoting diversity, gender equality as well as peace and development through coverage of international and grassroots traditional sports; that connect Nigerians across all regions particularly in rural areas. The emphasis on sports in the 2018 theme is no surprise, as sports ordinarily include a far-reaching and inclusive spectrum of activities suitable to people of all ages and capabilities. Besides its participatory and inclusive nature, it has the distinctive influence to attract, mobilize and inspire people from diverse background. Furthermore, the essential values of sports such as teamwork, fairness, discipline, respect for the opponent and the rules of the game can be harnessed in the advancement of solidarity, social cohesion and peaceful co-existence. An example of a sports peacebuilding initiative is the annual football tournament for local youth football clubs and high schools in Kano, the Channels National Kids Cup and the NNPC/Shell Cup which constantly aims to unite and make people of diverse background understand and appreciate each other’s beliefs, values and way of life better thereby promoting tolerance and a peaceful Nigeria. In the area of gender equality in sports, while there has been some social change in women’s participation in sports over the years as a result of education and international relations, there still exists some level of discrimination in the participation of women in sports in Nigeria and this can be seen in the poor coverage of women sporting activities and poor recognition of female sports team and stars.[3] For instance, the 2017 season of the Nigerian Women Premier League (NWPF), the highest division for female football in Nigeria which began on 25th March 2017 was never televised as the League Management Company (LMC) failed to secure television rights. On the contrary, the male league, Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) was televised as LMC secured a television rights deal worth $34 million with satellite broadcaster Supersports.[4] The high coverage of women sports through radio can go a long way in reshaping the narrative for women’s participation in sports thereby emphasising the need for equal opportunity for Nigerian women and men in sports. Finally, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to improve on fundamental freedoms, and promote public access to information in Nigeria which encourages good governance and the rule of law; in countering discrimination, radio can provide an accessible and real-time medium to bridge divides and strengthen dialogue. This year’s UNESCO commemoration is a call for greater participation of audiences and communities in Nigeria in the policy and planning of radio broadcasting. More than simple on-air interaction, public participation should include processes such as audience engagement policies, listener forums and complaints resolution procedures. UNESCO invites all radio stations and supporting organisations to join in the 2018 celebration, a chance to strengthen diversity, peace and development through sports broadcasting. 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://planeta.com/world-radio-day-2018/ [2] https://radioinfo.com.au/news/radio-reaches-widest-audience-world-un-secretary-general [3] https://guardian.ng/sport/nigeria-can-win-world-cup-if-women-are-treated-fairly-says-onome-ebi/ [4] http://venturesafrica.com/nigeria-football-league-gets-34m-tv-rights-deal/