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- Nigeria at 57; Abundant Resources and Cultural Diversity make us Proud
Abuja, Nigeria. October 3rd, 2017 – A new poll released by NOIPolls has revealed that Nigerians take pride in the nation’s abundant human and natural resources (25 percent), cultural diversity (17 percent) and peaceful co-existence (13 percent), amidst other factors. In addition, Nigerians rated their social interaction amongst the various ethnic groups in the country at 7.5 points on a scale of 0 – 10, where 0 represents “no interaction”, while 10 represents a “high level of interaction”. This rating implies a very positive social interaction among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria and further corroborates findings from NOIPolls Personal well-being index which portrays a high level of satisfaction of Nigerians regarding their social interaction. While Nigerians take pride in the nation’s abundant supply of human and Natural resources, most of these resources are yet to be exploited and fully maximised. For instance renewable and agricultural resources have the potential to create jobs and opportunities for alleviating poverty. Therefore, the onus is on the government to harness these potentials through sustainable development strategy and implementation. This should involve diverse stakeholders, especially private sector entrepreneurs, to convert opportunities in to economic activities to achieve significant job creation, income generation, poverty alleviation and inclusive economic growth and development; to improve the wellbeing of Nigerians. These are some of the key findings from the Patriotism Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing September 18th 2017. Brief Background Diversity which is a key element that clearly defines the true soul and strength of Nigeria has been regrettably overlooked in recent times. Nigeria’s development and drawback hinges is her unity in diversity as she is the only nation of the world with the highest population of Black race.[1] The only nation with more than 250 languages and diverse ethnic groups, yet have remained one and indivisible nation[2]. In line with this and in view of the 57th Nigeria Independence Day celebration, NOIPolls conducted a survey to understand the current stance of social interactions and patriotism among citizens. Survey Findings From the poll, respondents were asked what makes them proud and happy to be Nigerians and findings revealed that a fourth of the country’s population consider the abundant human and natural resources (25 percent) as a major factor that makes them proud of the country. This is not surprising considering that Nigeria is the most populous African country, commonly known as the giant of Africa. Also it has been reported that apart from petroleum, Nigeria is also rich in other natural resources such as natural gas, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc and arable land etc. This is followed by respondents who mentioned ‘cultural diversity’ (17 percent) and ‘peaceful co-existence’ (13 percent) among others. In a Nation like Nigeria with huge cultural, religious and ethnic diversity, positive social interaction between various ethnic groups is key to maintaining a harmonious society. With this in mind, the level of social interactions among the Nigerian populace was polled and findings revealed that the nationwide average rating on social interaction in Nigeria on a scale of 0 to 10 (where 0 represents no interaction and 10 represents a high level of interaction), stood at 7.5, which reflects a very healthy and productive social interaction among Nigerians. Additionally, analysis of results across gender revealed that the average ratings on social interactions between males and females from different ethnic background stood at 7.8 and 7.2 respectively. Consequently, analysis of social interaction ratings across geopolitical zones showed that the North-Central zone (8.0) had the highest social interaction rating in Nigeria and this was closely followed by the South-East zone with a rating of 7.9. Also, a closer look at the age-group category reveals a sequence of increasing social interaction as the age increases. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of September 18th, 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com 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.africaranking.com/most-populous-countries-in-africa/ [2] http://www.nan.ng/news/biafra-osinbajo-preaches-unity-in-diversity/
- The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index Declined By 1.3 Points In Quarter 3, 2017
The Personal Well-Being Index report released by NOIPolls for Q3, 2017 has revealed a 1.3-points contraction to stand at 64.1-points from 65.4-points obtained in Q2, 2017. This supposes that the level of satisfaction that Nigerians have with their well-being has dropped. Also, it is interesting to note that a comprehensive analysis of the seven components that made up the PWBI experienced a decrease except the Economic Index that experienced a negligible increase of 0.3-point when compared to Q2, 2017. These are the key highlights from the Q3, 2017 Personal Well-Being Index 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 the perceptions and micro assessment of consumers’ expectation in making decisions. At best, they draw conclusions on the business environment based on information from their immediate surroundings while the minorities conduct surveys that are time and money consuming. However, the introduction of these indices provides indicators that will ensure stakeholders can detect and respond to changes in consumer behaviour, the economy, and the business environment in Nigeria. This report presents the Q3, 2017 results for the NOIPolls Personal Well Being Index (PWBI). THE NOIPOLLS PERSONAL WELL-BEING INDEX (PWBI) The NOIPolls Personal Well-Being Index (PWBI) consists of seven items of satisfaction which are indicative of the perceptions of Nigerians regarding the value of their standard of living. In Q3 2017, PWBI reclined by 1.3-points to stand at 64.1-points; signifying a slight decline in the satisfaction of Nigerians with their Personal Well-Being when compared with the results witnessed in Q2, 2017. In addition, the sub-components of the indices that make up the PWBI revealed that Nigerians were satisfied in terms of Physical Health (75.2-points), Social Interaction (77.5-points), and Religion (88.4-points) indices. Sequentially, the results from Achievement in Life (52.4-points), Standard of Living (50.1-points) and Personal Security (65.7-points) indices revealed that Nigerians were somewhat neutral in terms of these indices, whereas some Nigerians were not satisfied with their Personal Economic Situation (40.8-points) index. Though, the Economic Index experienced a marginal increase of 0.3-point in Q3, 2017, it has consistently remained the lowest ranked indicator which suggests that Nigerians are yet to be satisfied with their personal economic situation. There are 7 variables that comprise of the PWBI and these indicators are highlighted below; Personal Standard of Living Index – 50.1 The Personal Standard of Living Index revealed a decrease of 1.2-points in Q3, 2017 from 51.3-points in Q2, 2017 to stand at 50.1-points. This indicates a drop in the satisfaction of Nigerians with their current standard of living. Personal Health index – 75.2 Although this index experienced a 2.3-points decrease, it still stands 75.2-points signifying that Nigerians perceive their personal health to be satisfactory. Personal Achievement Index – 52.4 This index also declined from 52.8-points in Q2, 2017 to 52.4-points in Q3, 2017 representing a 0.4-point difference. Personal Security Index – 65.7 There was a decline of 3.4-points (representing the highest decline in Q3, 2017) in the Personal Security Index for Q3, 2017 and this decrease implies that there was a drop, to some extent, in the level of confidence that Nigerians have in their personal security. Personal Social Interaction Index – 77.5 This index experienced a decrease of 1-point from the Q2, 2017 (78.5-points) to stand at 77.5-points in Q3, 2017. Although, there was a decline, the 77.5-points it attained signifies that Nigerians are still much satisfied with their social interactions regardless of the various challenges facing the country. Personal Religion Index – 88.4 The Personal Religion Index has consistently been the highest ranked index on the PWBI. Despite the 2.1-points decrease it experienced in Q3, 2017, it is currently the highest ranked index at 88.4-points from the 90.4-points it reached in Q2, 2017. This has revealed that Nigerians are very satisfied with their religious beliefs. Economic Index – 40.8 The Economic Index has been the lowest ranked index however, it was the only indicator that experienced an increase in Q3, 2017 PWBI. It increased marginally by 0.3-point to stand at 40.8-points from 40.5-points in Q2, 2017. Despite this slight increase, this figure illustrates a decline in the economic situation when compared to other indicators. TREND ANALYSIS Trend analysis revealed that only the Economic Index, among the indicators that constitute the PWBI, experienced an increase in Q3, 2017 while the remaining six experienced a decline. Furthermore, a comparison of the quarter-on-quarter analysis showed that the NOIPolls PWBI experienced a decrease of 1.3-points to stand at 64.1-points in Q3, 2017 from 65.4-points obtained in Q2, 2017. In conclusion, the PWBI provide a true reflection on the current state of mind of Nigerians on their personal issues and the recent findings have shown that the NOIPolls PWBI decreased by 1.3-points to stand at 64.1-points in Q3, 2017 meaning that the level of satisfaction of Nigerians on their wellbeing had decreased. Also, the individual indicators that make-up the PWBI revealed an increase in only one of the indicators (Economic index) while the remaining six indices experienced a decline. Since the country has emerged out of recession after five consecutive quarters[1], it is imperative for the government to sustain the tempo of its economic management policies so that such growth rates should translate to food on the table and more jobs, with steadily improving social welfare, for more Nigerians in the grassroots, which would in turn transform to an increase in individual personal well-being. Survey Methods The Personal Well Being Index Poll was conducted in Quarter 3, 2017. The PWBI 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 download our mobile appm NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/09/05/finally-nigeria-exits-recession-reports-0-55-gdp-growth-in-q2/
- New Poll Reveals Rising Trend of Gambling in Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria. August 15th, 2017 – New public opinion poll released by NOIPolls has revealed that gambling and betting are becoming very popular in Nigeria, particularly amongst the country’s bulging youth population and sports fans. Interestingly, a significant proportion of Nigerians polled (77 percent) attested to the high prevalence of betting and gambling in their locality; particularly amongst respondents in the South-West (92 percent) and South-South (91 percent) geo-political zones which recorded the highest prevalence. Also, the top four betting platforms identified by Nigerians are: Bet9ja (64 percent), Nairabet (34 percent), Pool (22 percent) and Lotto (20 percent). Similarly, betting has become a growing trend amongst young Nigerians aged between 18 – 35 years, who accounted for the highest proportion of Nigerians who engage in the practice. According to a report by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), about 60 million Nigerians between the ages 18 and 40 years spend up to N1.8 billion Naira on sports betting daily with an average investment of N3,000 Naira per day. Furthermore, in terms of active participation, 36 percent of those polled admitted that they personally engage or have family members who engage in betting; with more than half of this group of respondents (53 percent) engaged in daily betting. On the other hand, 60 percent of this same group reported that they win a bet ‘few times a month’, while 8 percent revealed that they have ‘never won a bet’. In addition, the poll highlighted that people prefer betting platforms that: offer timely redemption of winnings, favourable odds on games, reputation for prompt payment, and are easy to use. Finally, respondents identified reasons why Nigerians engage in betting and gambling to include: ‘quest for quick money’ (30 percent), ‘high rate of unemployment’ (21 percent) and ‘greed’ (15 percent) amongst other reasons. In reality, betting has its positive and negative sides however, given Nigeria’s recession and high unemployment figures, the impact of the betting industry in the nation’s economy has been positive as it has created thousands of jobs directly and indirectly. Big betting companies have staff strength running into hundreds; and through their associate and affiliate networks, they offer agents a source of livelihood from commissions earned as people engage in betting[1]. These are the key findings from the Betting Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week of July 17th 2017. Brief Background Betting is an activity of predicting an event result and placing a wager on its outcome with the hope of winning a set prize[2] and it is regulated by National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) which is empowered by the National Lottery Act, 2005 to regulate betting lottery in Nigeria. Companies that provide sports betting services are usually referred to as bookmaker, bookie, sports book or betting agency. There are numerous betting companies that provide such services all licenced and heavily regulated by the Nigerian lottery commission. These companies have customized high -tech online betting apps or platforms to cater for their online customers and retail-outlets for non-online customers. These retail outlets are dotted across the Nigerian landscape even in remote communities one could still find betting shops or outlets with help of affiliate agents. In recent years, betting has enjoyed high patronage in Nigeria likely triggered by the high rate of unemployment in the country[3] thereby, creating a viable environment for betting companies. Betting has its positives and negatives; as sometimes people win and lose their bets and typically either of these outcomes can lead to depression, debts or serious gambling habits. Against this backdrop, NOIPolls conducted a poll on betting in order to the gauge the perception of Nigerians on betting. Survey Findings In a bid to ascertain the prevalence of betting in Nigeria, respondents were asked to express their opinions on its prevalence and analysis of results revealed that a large majority (77 percent) stated that betting is prevalent in Nigeria. Residents from the South-West zone (92 percent) had the highest prevalence, while the North-west zone (57 percent) recorded the lowest prevalence. Interestingly, analysis by age-groups shows that those aged between 18 – 35 years recorded the highest percentage (79 percent) of respondents who stated that betting in Nigeria is prevalent. Following the high prevalence of betting, respondents were asked about betting platforms known to them and results revealed Bet9ja (64 percent) as the highest known, this finding is validated by a publication on Wings newspaper which reported that Bet9ja is the most popular betting platform in Nigeria[4]. Other betting platforms mentioned are Nairabet (34 percent), Pool companies (22 percent) and Lotto (20 percent). The poll also sought to measure the proportion of Nigerians who are involved in betting and analysis revealed that nearly 4 in 10 Nigerians (36 Percent) actually engage in some form of betting and those aged between 18 – 35 years accounted for the largest proportion (41 percent) of Nigerians in this category. This finding is in line with the report from News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) which stated that Nigerians aged (18-40) years are most likely involved in betting[5]. On the contrary, a larger proportion of the respondents disclosed that they do not engage in or have a family member who engages in betting. It is worthy to note that some of these respondents may out rightly refuse to disclose their participation due to societal stigmatization. The survey sought to determine the frequency of Nigerians who actually engage in betting and analysis revealed that more than half of the respondents (53 Percent) disclosed that they bet or stake games on ‘daily’ basis. While 39 percent engage in it ‘a few times a month’, a meagre one percent say they rarely engage in it. In the same vein, a further probe established that majority (60 percent) of the respondents disclosed that they only win ‘a few times a month’, this is followed by 29 percent who win ‘a few times in a week’. While 8 percent claimed that they have ‘never’ won any bet, 3 percent indicated that they win ‘on a daily basis’. In order to ascertain the factors that influence the choice of betting platforms adopted by the betting population, findings reveal that 26 percent mentioned ‘timely payment’ as the main factor that influences their choice. This was closely followed by respondents who believe it is the ‘odds/stake placed on a game’ (24 percent). Other determinants mentioned include ‘reputation for payment’ (21 percent), ‘ease of use’ (15 percent) among others. Finally, analysis of results revealed ‘quest for quick money’ (30 percent), ‘Unemployment’ (21 percent) and ‘greed’ (15 percent) topped the list of reasons why Nigerians engage in betting. Other reasons include; ‘to cushion the effect of economic hardship’ (12 percent), ‘poverty’ (10 percent), ‘just for fun’ (5 percent), ‘passion for sports’ (5 percent) and ‘peer group influence’ (2 Percent). In conclusion, this latest poll by NOIPolls has revealed the rising trend of betting and gambling in Nigeria, especially among the country’s bulging youth population. Sadly, this trend is driven by the quest for quick money, unemployment, greed and economic hardship amongst others. However, our concern is that while betting and gambling may serve as an avenue to pull surplus funds from the economy for savings and investment puposes; the side effects of this practice on the population, especially youths may have a negative multiplier on the country. Betting and gambling have been found to be quite addictive and can stimulate further social vices if not properly managed. Gambling has ruined homes and marriages, and rendered people brankrupt and there’s need for proper sensitisation on the negative effects of gambling and betting. Finally, it is important for regulatory bodies such as the National Lottery Commission to step up its regulatory efforts to ensure that the practice isn’t abused and exposed to young people, especially teenagers. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of July 17th 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com or download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://venturesafrica.com/sport-betting-in-nigeria-an-unlikely-source-of-revenue-and-jobs/ [2] http://www.natlotregcom.gov.ng/index/pages/page/sports_lottery/ [3] http://venturesafrica.com/sport-betting-in-nigeria-an-unlikely-source-of-revenue-and-jobs/ [4] http://www.wingsnewspaper.com/bet9ja-popular-betting-company-nigeria [5] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/nigerians-spend-n1-8bn-sports-betting-daily-investigation/
- Quarter 2 2017; Power Supply to Nigerian Households Remains Poor.
Abuja, Nigeria. July 11th 2017 – New aggregated power poll results released by NOIPolls for the 1st half of 2017 (January to June 2017), covering Q1 and Q2 which has an average of 30.5 percent, has revealed a decline in power supply to Nigerian households when compared to the 2nd half of 2016 (July to December 2016) which stood at an average of 41.5 percent. The drop could be attributed to the reported shortage of gas supply experienced by the sector several months back and also, grid instability caused by weak transmission infrastructure.[1] Quarterly evaluation revealed that 31 percent of adult Nigerians reported that they experienced a minimal increase in power supply to their households in Q2, 2017 and this represents a 1-point increase when compared to Q1, 2017 which stood at 30 percent. Also, monthly analysis has shown that the highest improvement in power supply was in the month of March 2017 with 35 percent representation while the month of January accounted for the lowest (21 percent) improvement in power supply in the first half of 2017. In the same manner, an evaluation of the monthly average cumulative hours of power supply to Nigerian households for the month of February 2017 stood at 9.8 hours daily, representing the highest daily cumulative hours of power supply within the six month period. Quarterly, nationwide average daily cumulative power supply to Nigerian households in Q2, 2017 stood at 9.3 hours, these results further stress the drop in power supply when compared to Q4, 2016 which had 10.6 hours as the monthly average. This infers that the stakeholders in the power sector need to keep up the pace of working towards providing more quality electricity supply to the people. These are some of the key findings from the aggregated power sector poll conducted by NOIPolls over a period of six months (January to June 2017). Background Viable electricity generation and supply in Nigeria seem indefinable over the years. Although there are times when peak increases are recorded, the amount of energy generated and distributed for consumption still does not measure up to what is actually needed. In the past years, the mounting problem in the power sector has continued to defy all solutions designed to remedy it making issues with power in Nigeria become a very peculiar situation when compared to other neighboring African States. The conundrum in the power sector has resulted in a situation that has been damaging to the economy and infrastructural development in Nigeria for decades. Few among these challenges are unconducive environment for investors, underfunding of the power sector and lack of good regulations. Also, there is a challenge with the funding of the sector; this funding issue has even resulted in a face-off, recently, between the National Assembly and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.[2] However, the non-cooperation of electricity consumers to pay for energy consumed has also posed a level of difficulty in the sector, especially in these times that the generation and distribution components are being handled by private investors. As at the time of filing this report, the National Electric System Operation (SO), an arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), puts the general National Peak Demand Forecast at about 19,100.00MW, while recent peak energy generated hovers between just 4, 000MW and 4, 300MW[3] and this could safely translate to unavailable or unstable power supply when compared with the energy demand. With the aim of monitoring the progress made so far since the power sector reforms in Nigeria, NOIPolls introduced the Power Polls in 2013 to explore the perception of Nigerians towards the power sector reforms. The polls were conducted monthly to explore the amount of power supply received daily, as well as the state of power supply to households. The result presented is a 6-Months (January – June) tracking of power supply to households from the consumers’ end in 2017. Survey Findings Quarterly Trend on Power Supply Analysis of results, from polls conducted over a six month period on NOIPolls monthly power tracking survey series revealed that only about 3 in 10 Nigerians nationwide experienced an improvement in power supply for both quarter one (Q1) and quarter two (Q2). Further analysis revealed that power supply improvement for Q1 was 30 percent while, that of Q2 was 31 percent indicating a marginal 1 percent improvement nationwide. Quarterly Average Daily Cumulative Power Supply to Nigerian Households Analysis of survey findings over the period in view revealed that the average cumulative power supply to Nigerian households nationwide for Q1 2017 was 8.9 hours while Q2 2017 had 9.3 hours, once again reflecting a fractional improvement in cumulative hours of power supply. Average Monthly Improvement in Power Supply Further analysis of the survey results over the period in view revealed that the highest improvement (35 percent) in power supply nationwide was recorded in March 2017 representing a 1 percent improvement from the previous month. The lowest improvement ( 21 percent) in power supply nationwide was recorded in January 2017, this low ebb recorded in January is likely connected to the decline in generation during quarter four (Q4) of 2016 as Nigeria’s generation statistics showed that a total average of 2,159 MW of energy was generated by power stations during the fourth quarter of 2016.[4] Further giving credence to this lowest improvement recorded in January of 2017 is the fact that power generation had worsened during this period as attested to by the power ministry[5]. Despite a 14 percent surge from January’s 21 percent to 35 percent in April, a frequent fluctuation in power supply is noticed in the subsequent months. Average Monthly Daily Cumulative Power Supply to Nigerian Households Additionally, analysis of survey results revealed that the month of February recorded the highest average daily cumulative power supply to Nigerian households which stood at an average of 10 hours daily. More, analysis of results shows that the month of January recorded the lowest average daily cumulative hours of power supply to Nigerian households which stood at approximately 8 hours daily. In conclusion, the findings have revealed that for the six month period (January to June) evaluated, the month of February 2017 accounted for the highest daily cumulative hours of power supply in Nigeria with 9.8 hours. Although it declined in the month of April, it gradually picked up again in June 2017 to stand at 9.7 hours. Similarly, quarterly analysis of results showed that Q2, 2017 recorded the highest average improvement in power supply nationwide with 31 percent. Furthermore, the statistics obtained from this report revealed that despite the recent collaborations of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Generating Companies (GENCOS) to improve electricity and grid stability[6], power supply to Nigerian households is still inadequate and unstable. Therefore, it is compulsory to create a synergy among the industry players to get a lasting solution to the problems that have been persistently bedeviled the power sector. Argumentatively, there are suggestions that the funding challenge prevalent in the sector is a subset of the refusal of some electricity consumers to pay for energy consumed. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), through its methodology of the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) has pointed out that the current tariff reflects market reality, and that energy is supplied to consumers at a price that reflects the cost of production[7]. So, Nigerians should put an end to the erroneous assumption that electricity is a social service by the government and should be sold at a cheap price or given freely; they should cultivate the habit of paying for what they consume to enable energy providers run the sector efficiently which would in turn bring about an adequate and constant power supply. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted over a period of six months (January to June 2017). It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 6,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com you can also download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/04/03/electricity-supply-drops-to-3800mw/ [2] http://leadership.ng/2017/07/03/fashola-national-assembly-national-interest/ [3] file:///C:/Users/s.aribisala/Downloads/DailyOperationalRpt%2007-07-2017.pdf [4] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/04/power-generation-increases-q1-2017-nbs/ [5] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/04/25/tackling-the-cyclical-electricity-conondrum/ [6] http://www.nsong.org/MediaPublicity/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=73 [7] http://www.nercng.org/index.php/media-library/public-notices/511-notice-of-review-of-the-multi-year-tariff-order-myto-methodology-2017
- New Poll Reveals Nigerians’ Preference For Middle-Aged Presidential Candidates In 2019
Abuja, Nigeria. June 15th, 2017 – A new poll conducted by NOIPolls in partnership with Business Day Media has revealed that Nigerians would prefer middle-aged candidates for the country’s 2019 presidential elections. Spurred by the recent victory of French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron and increasing discussions in the social space, particularly the #NotTooYoungToRun Campaign led by the youth advocacy organisation YIAGA, this latest poll sought to glean the perceptions and opinions of Nigerians regarding their age preference for presidential candidates in the 2019 elections. Interestingly, the poll found that 64 percent of Nigerians say they would prefer to vote for a presidential candidate between the ages of 40 and 50 years; and this was followed in a distance by 15 percent who prefer candidates between 51 and 60 years. Specifically, ages 50 years (33 percent) and 40 years (21 percent) constituted the highest precise age preferences cited by Nigerians. Similarly, almost half of those interviewe (48 percent) expressed their preference for middle-aged presidential candidates, and when probed on why the reasons for their preference, 44 percent say “they combine youthful energy and maturity”, while 23 percent say “they are more mentally alert”. Similarly, 35 percent expressed support for young candidates; and further cited the following reasons for their preference: “they bring new and fresh ideas” and “they are more vibrant than the elderly”. Furthermore, the poll revealed that 73 percent of Nigerians are willing to support independent candidacy. In order words, even though there currently isn’t the provision for independent candidacy in the country’s Electoral Act, Nigerians say they would be willing to support individuals who may decide to run for elective positions on their personal strength, without being affliated to any political party. In addition, when asked about what would influence their choice of candidates or political parties in the 2019 elections, almost 5 in 10 Nigerians (49 percent) say they would vote for candiates who have “Integrity”. This was followed by 27 percent and 18 percent who stated that their voting decision would be influenced by “Track record and experience” and “Political agenda or manifesto” respectively. Finally, the poll sought to examine some of the factors militating against young professionals from participating in politics, and top amongst the factors identified include: Financial constraint (40 percent), Godfatherism and political cabal (23 percent), Lack of experience (15 percent) and Lack of political platforms (10 percent). We hope that the results and findings from poll would begin to stimulate conversations and debates, and have implications on electoral reforms, particularly on the issues of age restrictions and independent candidacy; internal political party reforms and the wide youth inclusiveness question, party candidate selection limits and criteria, and strengthen advocacy for the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill amongst others. These are some of the key findings from the 2019 Presidential Candidate Age Preference Poll. The poll was conducted in the week commencing May 22nd, 2017. Brief Background The use of the catch-phrase: ‘Youths are the leaders of tomorrow‘ has constantly been called to question in the leaderhip and socio-political discourse of the Nigerian state. The question has always been- when exactly would tomorrow come to allow young people take over the mantle of leadership? Chief Anthony Enahoro, a man that is arguably one of the most respected supporters of independence and founding fathers of Nigeria was barely 30 when he moved the historic motion for ”self rule” in the Federal House in February 1953.[1] Yet, current evidence shows that a young adult of that age cannot be found among the Senators of the 8th Assembly today because Section 65 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution sets the age of 35 as the minimum age for election into the Nigerian senate. Barack Obama made history as the first black president of the United States of America, at age 47. Similarly, in 2015, Justin Trudeau surprised the world by becoming the Canadian Prime Minister at age 44. Today, the news revolves around a former investment banker, Emmanuel Macron, who has defied all odds to become the youngest President of France at the youthful age of 39 years. One wonders if there’s any hope for young Nigerians aspiring for elective leadership positions in the country. Nonetheless, one significant ray of hope for the Nigerian youth today is the bill referred to as the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill, seeking to lower the constitutional age requirement for contesting for elections in Nigeria and seeking to usher in independent candidacy into Nigeria’s electoral process, as sponsored by Hon. Tony Nwulu representing Oshodi/Isolo II Federal Constituency of Lagos state.[2] The bill, if passed will provide more political space for Nigerian youths, by according them with eligibility to vie for political offices in Nigeria. However, there are some critical question that beg for answers: (1) Are Nigerian youths ready (culturally, academically, professionally, psychologically and otherwise) to take the bull by its horn? (2) Is the political landscape conducive to promote young people with fresh ideas venture into politics? Are Nigerians ready and willing to welcome young people to lead the country into the 21st century? In light of the above, NOIPolls recently conducted a public opinion poll in partnership with Business Day Media, seeking to understand the perceptions and opinions of Nigerians regarding their age preference for the 2019 presidential candidate, as well as gauging their views on the knotty subject of Independent Candidacy. Please note that we have applied loose definition to the words: young, middle-aged (working class) and elderly (retired or about to retire) in this poll, to be guided by the perception of the average Nigerian. Survey Findings We started out the poll by seeking respondents age preference for presidential candidates in the 2019 elections. Interestingly, the findings revealed that 48 percent of Nigerians polled indicated that they would prefer middle-aged presidential candidates, particularly in the South-East (67 percent) and North-Central (63 percent) geo-political zones of the country. This was followed by 35 percent of the respondents who expressed their preference to see young persons emerging as candidates in 2019; and as expected, respondents aged between 18 – 35 years accounted for the largest proportion (37 percent) in this category. Curiously, 10 percent of respondents affirmed their preference for elderly presidential candidates. Subsequently, respondents were further probed for reasons for their preference; and of the 48 percent who desire middle-aged presidential candidates the following reasons were cited: (1) they combine youthful energy and maturity (48 percent); (2) they are more mentally alert (23 percent); they have the capacity to be better leaders (15 percent) and they would be more responsible (14 percent). On the other hand, those who prefer young presidential candidates justify their position by stating that young people bring new and fresh ideas (50 percent) and they are more vibrant than the elderly (30 percent), in addition those who say the elderly ones have failed the country (13 percent). The poll also sought the opinion of Nigerians regarging a maximun age for prefered presidential candidates for the 2019 election. Interestingly, a significant majority of respondents (64 percent) stated that they would prefer candidates between the ages of 40 and 50 years, categorized as middle-age. This was followed by 15 percent of respondents who said they would prefer presidential candidates between the ages of 51 to 60; while 7 percent said they would prefer young candidates aged between 18 to 39 years. Further analysis by goe-political zone revealed that the North-Central (75 percent) and South-East (66 percent) geo-political zones had the largest proportion of respondents who prefer presidential candidates aged between 40 – 50 years. In the same vein, respondents aged 18 – 35 years (69 percent) accounted for the highest proportion who prefer presidential candidates aged between 40 – 50 years. Subsequently, respondents were asked if the current political structure encourages young professionals to contest for public offices; and the findings revealed that at least two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) simply answered “No”, which highlights a negative perception regarding the lack of political space for young professionals in the country. On the contrary, about a third (36 percent) affirmed that the current political structure encourages young professionals to contest for public offices. Respondents were also asked if they would be willing to support independent candidacy in the 2019 presidential election; and a significant proportion of the respondents (73 percent) expressed their willingness to support independent candidates. In order words, even though there currently isn’t the provision for independent candidacy in the country’s Electoral Act, Nigerians are of the opinion that if such provision is made, they would be willing to support individuals who may decide to run for elective positions on their personal strength, without being affliated to any political party. However, on the contrary, 27 percent say they will not support independent candidacy. Interestingly, across gender, geo-political zones and age groups, majority say they would support independent candidacy. Upon further probing on factors that would influence the voting decision in the 2019 elections, resuts from the poll revealed that almost half of the respondents nationwide cited “Integrity” as the most important factor that will ultimately influence voting decisiob. This was followed by “track record and experience” (27 percent) and “political agenda/manifesto” (18 percent) to make the top three influencing factors identified by respondents. Lastly, the poll revealed that although a vast majority of Nigerians say they would support young to middle-aged pesidential candidates in 2019, there are still some key hinderances preventing young professionals from vying for elective public offices. Top amongst the factors mentioned by respondents include: financial constraints (40 percent), godfatherism and political cabal (23 percent), lack of experience (15 percent) and lack of political platforms (10 percent) amongst others. In conclusion, the poll has revealed that most Nigerians prefer young (35 percent) to middle-aged (48 percent) presidential candidates in the 2019 presidential elections; and 73 percent have expressed their support for independent candidacy. We hope that these results and findings would stimulate conversations and debates in the media and social space; and have deeper implications at least on the following: (1) electoral reforms, particularly on the discussions around age restrictions and independent candidacy; (2) internal political party reforms and the wider subject of youth inclusiveness, candidate selection limits and criteria, and (3) further strenthen advocacy for the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill amongst others. Finally, the statistics are clear, young people have the numbers and are becoming more active in the social space. There’s need to translate active social engagement and social media activism into actual political party considerations, which would witness a massive incursion of young people into the political terrain, and taking the bull by the horn, to vie for elective positions come 2019. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing May 22nd, 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geo-political zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. For more information visit our website www.noi-polls.com or download our mobile app NOIPolls on your smartphone. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/08/chief-anthony-enahoro-obituary [2] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/06/21/age-of-candidacy-bill-a-renewed-hope-for-nigerian-youths/
- President Buhari’s March 2017 Presidential Approval Rating stands at 55%
Abuja Nigeria, April 18th, 2017 – Latest Presidential Job Approval rating conducted by NOIPolls revealed a 5-point increase to stand at 55 percent in March, 2017. The rise in the President’s job performance rating was seen across the six geo-political zones and the North-East zone with 31-points had the highest proportion of Nigerians in this category. This increase in the job approval rating could be attributed to the President’s return from medical leave and the continued deliberations around the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, with the main objective of restoring growth, investing in and building a globally competitive economy. Additionally, the Central Bank’s policy intervention on foreign exchange which has further improved the value of the Naira in the global market could also have contributed to this increase. Further findings revealed that the rationale for approval of the President’s job performance was centered around the perceived ‘slight reduction in the prices of goods and services’ (25 percent), ‘improved level of security’ (20 percent) and ‘slight improvement in the economy’ (15 percent) amongst other positive reasons. Conversely, 35 percent of the respondents who disapproved of his job performance reported ‘general hardship and high poverty rate’ (40 percent), ‘high cost of goods and services’ (25 percent) and ‘worsening state of the economy’ (15 percent) as reasons for their disapproval. These are some of the key findings from the Governance poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing 27th March 2017. These results represent the twenty-second approval rating in a monthly series of governance polls conducted by NOIPolls to gauge the perceptions of Nigerians regarding the job performance of the President. Survey findings Following the return of the President on 10th, March 2017, there were heightened expectations of Nigerians to see him continue to discharge his duties especially in an economy which is currently in recession amidst high inflation.[1] In order to assess the general perception of Nigerians regarding the performance of President Buhari over the past one month, NOIPolls conducted the presidential approval rating for the month of March, 2017 and findings from the poll revealed that 55 percent of adult Nigerians interviewed approved of the President’s job performance. This current rating represents a 5-point increase from February 2017 rating (50 percent) of Vice President Osibanjo (who was the Acting President during that period); indicating an improved perception from previous months. On the other hand, 35 percent disapproved of his performance, while 10 percent remained neutral, neither approving nor disapproving of his performance. It is also worth noting that the increase in the job performance of the president was observed across all the six geo-political zones. Subsequently, respondents who approved of the President’s job approval rating gave various reasons ranging from ‘slight reduction in prices of goods and services’ (25 percent) ‘improved level of security’ (20 percent) and ‘slight improvement in the economy’ (15 percent). Other reasons for the approval included ‘I liked the President’s style of leadership’ (13 percent) ‘distribution of Agro-allied products to farmers’ (10 percent) and ‘fight against corruption’ (10 percent) and lastly, ‘strengthened value of the Naira’ (7 percent). Respondents who disapproved of the President’s job performance claimed that there is ‘general hardship and high poverty rate’ (40 percent), ‘high cost of goods and services’ (25 percent), ‘worsening state of the economy’ (15 percent), ‘high unemployment rate’ (12 percent) and ‘poor state of power supply’ (8 percent). In conclusion, the poll has revealed that the presidential job performance evaluation for the month of March 2017 has increased to 55 percent. While this marginal increase is laudable, massive inroads still have to be made in terms of curbing inflation and poverty rates which still remain the highest reason for disapproval of the President’s job performance. Additionally, Government must focus on the adequate implementation of recommendations outlined by the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan to ensure sustainable economic growth and national development. Survey Methods The public opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing March 27th, 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com , you can also download NOIPolls Mobile App from the Google and Apple Playstore. 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.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/muhammadu-buhari-returned-home-state-media-170310065849423.html
- 2017: Employment, Business Start-Up Top Priority for Nigerians; Positive Outlook Maintained on Secur
Abuja, Nigeria. January, 2017 –Latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls have revealed some of the personal goals and aspirations that Nigerians have for 2017, such as the desire to secure employment or change existing jobs (37 percent), starting up new businesses (16 percent) and getting closer to God (14 percent) amongst others. This finding further corroborates several media reports on unemployment and under-employment being one of the major problems that the government needs to tackle.[1] Furthermore, the efforts of the present administration to tackle the security issues in Nigeria has no doubt influenced the perception of Nigerians towards the security of the nation, as 87 percent asserted that they are hopeful that the security situation in the country will be better than it was in 2016. The huge achievement by the security forces in recapturing the Boko Haram stronghold of Sambisa Forest may have played a role in the current perception on the state of security in Nigeria[2]. Also, 82 percent are optimistic that the economic situation of the country will improve; with 79 percent optimistic that more jobs will be created in 2017. This may not be unconnected with the Federal Government’s social investment program aimed at creating jobs for youths, tagged N-Power. Besides, the recent passage of the bill recognizing the National Peace Corps as a Federal Government Parastatal, under the Ministry of Interior, has become a veritable channel for job creation. Lastly, when Nigerians were asked what they would do to move the country forward, some said they will be more law abiding (29 percent), create employment through their various businesses (18 percent), become patriotic (11 percent) amongst others. Therefore, the federal government of Nigeria should uphold its tempo at reviving the economy of the country while its citizens should take the right steps towards the advancement of Nigeria. These were some of the key findings from the New Year special poll conducted in the week of January 9th, 2017. Brief Background Every New Year brings a lot of excitement, hopefulness and aspiration, and as 2017 beckons, majority of people all over the world are full of expectations, so also are Nigerians. There is hopefulness of a new dawn of possibilities since the nation has been faced with multitudes of challenges characterised by various issues in the preceding years such as the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, recent Southern Kaduna killings in the North-West[3], activities of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-East as well as the Niger Delta Avengers in the South-South, and the herdsmen menace in the North Central, just to mention a few. Business activities have been grounded by these happenings in all those troubled spots and were also complemented by irregular power supply, unemployment, poor exchange rate against the dollar, kidnappings, economic recessions and other crimes which are capable of undermining the development and progress of Nigeria. The Federal government of Nigeria (FGN), during the presentation of its 2017 Appropriation Bill, nicknamed the budget of recovery and growth, to a joint session of the National Assembly had promised that it has taken necessary steps to stimulate the economy and gave assurances of various investments in key sectors and that those steps were taken to restore business confidence that will guarantee the country’s speedy recovery from recession in 2017.[4] In view of this, NOIPolls conducted its Annual New Year Special Edition Snap Poll survey to ascertain the personal aspirations of Nigerians in the New Year, as well as their optimism about the country and the necessary actions they would take for the purpose of developing the country. Survey Findings The survey results revealed that some Nigerians are either unemployed or are not satisfied with their current employment status as 37 percent, which formed the majority, mentioned that they are aiming at getting a job or to have a change of job as their personal goal for 2017. Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developing nations today and Nigeria is no different. Being the most populous country in Africa with a population of over 170 million people, Nigeria is blessed with diverse human and material resources. However, her resources have been left under-utilized leading to mass unemployment and abject poverty. Poll findings also revealed that 16 percent of the respondents disclosed that they aspire to start a business and this could have been triggered by the theories by some economic experts that the year 2017 will be good for businesses to thrive in Nigeria.[5] Also, 14 percent asserted that they would be more religious and this supports a research that ascribed Nigerians as one of the most religious people on earth.[6] The current economic hardship that Nigerians are faced with also played out as 12 percent indicated that they would cut down their expenses, additionally, there is the quest to seek for added knowledge and qualifications as another 12 percent indicated that they would further their education. Some other mentions include ‘improving my business’ (8 percent), ‘get married this year’ (8 percent) and ‘build my own house and buy a car’ (7 percent) among others. The poll also sought to find out the expectations of Nigerians for 2017 with regards to some issues that affect the wellbeing of the citizens including the economy, security and employment and findings revealed high expectation and optimism around these issues. The larger proportion (87 percent) is optimistic that security will be better this year; similarly, 82 percent of the respondents are hopeful that the economy will be better than last year, while 79 percent stated that they look forward to the employment situation in Nigeria becoming better than it was in 2016. Furthermore, to determine what Nigerians could do as individuals to contribute in moving the nation forward, the survey revealed some Nigerians (29 percent) especially respondents from the North-West (38 percent) and South-East (35 percent) zones aim to be more law abiding in 2017. More findings revealed that 18 percent of the respondents basically from the South-West zone (26 percent) disclosed that that they intend to create employment through their businesses and this could go a long way in reducing unemployment in the country if it could be actualised. It is also worthy to note that this zone houses Lagos state which is the economic hub of the country. In addition, a section of Nigerians (11 percent) stated they would be patriotic citizens whereas, another proportion (8 percent) believe that prayers will make a positive impact in the country among other positive contributions. Conclusively, the recent poll results have revealed that 37 percent of adult Nigerians surveyed disclosed that they look forward to getting a job or to have a change of job as one of their personal goals in 2017 while 16 percent aspire to start a business so as to have multiple streams of income. More findings revealed that most Nigerians are very optimistic of a very good living in 2017 as the vast majority of Nigerians are enthusiastic that the security (87 percent), economic (82 percent) and employment (79 percent) situations in Nigeria will be better than it was last year. Finally, Nigerians have asserted that they will be more law abiding (29 percent) and that they will create employment through their various businesses (18 percent) as part of their contribution towards moving the nation forward. Therefore, the federal government of Nigeria should uphold its tempo at reviving the economy of the country while citizens take the right steps towards the advancement of Nigeria. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of January 9th 2017. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. 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://venturesafrica.com/10-critical-issues-nigeria-will-face-in-2016/ [1] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/buhari-salutes-nigerian-army-capturing-sambisa-forest/ [1] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/218371-n-power-verification-200000-graduates-completed-13-states.html [1] https://www.channelstv.com/2016/11/24/senate-passes-nigerian-peace-corps-bill/ [1] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/212932-el-rufai-imposes-24-hour-curfew-kafanchan-soldiers-deployed.html [1] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/president-buhari-speech-at-the-presentation-of-2017-budget-of-recovery-and-growth/ [1] http://leadership.ng/news/562570/2017-will-be-good-for-businesses-experts-project [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11530382/Mapped-These-are-the-worlds-most-religious-countries.html [1] http://venturesafrica.com/10-critical-issues-nigeria-will-face-in-2016/ [2] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/buhari-salutes-nigerian-army-capturing-sambisa-forest/ [3] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/212932-el-rufai-imposes-24-hour-curfew-kafanchan-soldiers-deployed.html [4] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/president-buhari-speech-at-the-presentation-of-2017-budget-of-recovery-and-growth/ [5] http://leadership.ng/news/562570/2017-will-be-good-for-businesses-experts-project [6] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11530382/Mapped-These-are-the-worlds-most-religious-countries.html
- Presidency describes alleged polls by APC as amateur
Excerpts of news mention on Daily Trust Newspaper: In a statement in Abuja, the Special Adviser Media to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, described as suspicious, the parameters and variables used in the said polling. Dr. Abati observed that the APC does not even have a candidate now and wondered whether the polling without a candidate could be valid. He advised the APC to secure the services of professional polling agencies such as the NOI polls, which showed that President Jonathan secured a sixty-one per cent job performance rating. Read more below: http://ww2.radionigeria.gov.ng/frnews-detail.php?ID=8469
- Nigerians Seek Government Intervention to Regulate House Rent
Abuja, Nigeria. October 25th, 2016 –Latest public opinion poll results released by NOIPolls Limited has revealed that at least 5 in 10 (56 percent) residents in four major Nigerian states of; Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the FCT still live in rented apartments, 25 percent of these same say they live in personal homes, 16 percent live in their family houses and a paltry 3 percent live in Company/Government owned apartments.Results also showed that 87 percent of residents of these cities advocate for government to regulate house rent in the country. This is mainly due to the high cost of housing in these areas as 65 percent pay between 101, 000 – 500, 000 Naira as rent annually. Although 30 percent revealed that proximity or convenience is of high priority when renting an apartment, as a large proportion of respondents in this category (43 percent) attributed this to the level of traffic congestion in the state prompting residents to rent apartments based on nearness to the locations they frequently visit. Furthermore, 52 percent expressed their dissatisfaction on their housing conditions while 48 percent asserted that they were satisfied with their housing conditions. These were some of the key findings from the Housing Poll conducted in the week of October 17th, 2016. Brief Background Adequate housing is one of the best indicators of a nation’s standard of living for its citizens. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (which is a theory that prioritizes man’s needs in a tiered model), Safety needs, of which shelter is a component, is the second most basic need of man, right after physiological needs such as food, water, warmth and rest. Nigeria has experienced a phenomenal rise in the population of city dwellers without a corresponding increase in housing units which has consequently led to an acute shortage of habitable dwelling places in most cities over the past three decades. In many cases where you have available housing units, they are often expensive and remain uninhabited due to unaffordability. This results in overcrowding, homelessness, inadequate and poor infrastructure, poor living conditions, increased rate of poverty and its associated social vices. In 1991, Nigeria established a new housing policy that was intended to provide solutions to the housing problems of her growing population. Twenty years later, the government confessed its inability to achieve the then set objectives and sought to review the National Housing Policy. In 2012, Nigeria got her latest National Housing Policy which promised Nigerians real mass housing. Till date, the new housing policy formulated to provide housing for even the poorest of Nigerians has not been implemented.[1] Evidently, Rural-Urban migration has led to the high demands for new buildings in Nigeria’s developed cities like Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Lagos states. There is an estimated 17 million housing deficit in Nigeria and this represents about 256 percent increase in housing demands since 1991.[2] Currently, Nigeria needs about 100 billion naira to implement a new housing strategy.[3] The new housing strategy will include low cost housing units with flexible payment options targeted at the poor masses. At present, there are a lot of complaints about the high cost of building in many cities. It is commonly reported that Abuja residents complain of high cost of rent and this has compelled most of its population to live in satellite towns where they can afford their own homes and cheaper rent.[4] For people who can afford to live in urban cities, there are observable mixed feelings about the conditions of the homes which are most often not worth the huge amount paid on rent. In view of this, NOIPolls conducted a survey on housing in Nigeria with emphasis on four states (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano) based on their population and economic activities, to ascertain the general perceptions about housing. Survey Findings The survey results revealed that 56 percent of residents in Kano, Lagos, Rivers and Abuja live in rented apartments with residents from Lagos and Rivers States accounting for the highest proportion (74 percent respectively) in this category. This is not far-fetched as Lagos and Rivers States are both major trade centres, thus home to a lot of multinational firms as well as other major industries. The age-groups of between 18 – 35 and 36 – 60 years represent the majority of respondents who said they live in rented apartments and this could be suggestive of the heavy presence of the labour force in both states. Furthermore, out of the 56 percent who acknowledged living in a rented apartment, 85 percent of this proportion stated that they pay their rental fees annually and this cuts across gender and states. This is in line with some studies which have revealed that the most common mode of rental payment in Nigeria is annually[5]. Subsequently, the survey sought to find out the average amount paid for rent and the largest proportion (47 percent) of the respondents across the four focal states reported that they pay between 101, 000 – 250, 000 Naira. This infers that most people in these states live in satellite towns where such amounts are payable as rent averagely. This is followed by 28 percent who stated that they pay less than N100, 000, and Kano State had the highest proportion of respondents in this category which indicates affordability of housing in the state compared to other states surveyed. In addition, a meagre 1 percent admitted paying above 1,000,000 Naira as rent and this is mostly revealed by residents in Lagos (1 percent), Rivers (2 percent) and the F.C.T (2 percent). This could be attributed to the overpriced real estate, expensive hotels and inflation caused by the daily influx of both local and international migrants and expatriates. In ascertaining the satisfaction of the housing condition in the four focal states, responses revealed that a majority of respondents (52 percent) who stay in a rented apartment stated that they are not satisfied with their housing condition. In contrast, 22 percent expressed satisfaction with their housing condition whereas, 23 percent indicated they were somewhat satisfied with it. The survey result also revealed that a vast majority (30 percent) of respondents irrespective of the type of house they live in cited proximity or convenience to places they visit frequently as a factor that mostly influences their choice of residence. Lagos State had the largest proportion (43 percent) of respondents who revealed this, and it could be attributed to the level of traffic in the state prompting residents to rent accommodation based on its nearness to the location they frequently visit. Other factors that influence the choice of residence according to the respondents were serene environment (20 percent), Security (19 percent) and cheaper rent (15 percent) among others. Lastly, the opinion of Nigerians was gauged on house rent regulation by the government and the findings revealed that 87 percent of respondents stated that they want the government to regulate rent across the country. This cuts across gender, states, and age-groups. The issue of land speculators and land grabbers faced by land owners and the indiscriminate high rental fees could be the reason a majority of the respondents advocated for house rent regulations by the government. On the other hand, 13 percent were of the opinion that government should not be in the position to regulate house rent in the country. During the course of this survey, respondents in this category stated that the government did not build their houses for them, therefore they should be at liberty to make decisions on their properties. In conclusion, the recent poll results revealed that most residents (56 percent) in Kano, Lagos and the F.C.T. live in rented apartment with most of them (87 percent) paying between 101, 000 – N250, 000 Naira as rent annually. Though 52 percent expressed their dissatisfaction on the housing condition, 30 percent revealed that proximity or convenience is placed at high priority when renting an apartment. Hence, almost 9 in 10 respondents residing in Kano, Lagos, Rivers and the F.C.T are advocating for housing regulation from the government. In summary, emphasis should be placed on low and medium housing units to reduce the cost of housing, thus making it more affordable to many people. Also, middle and low income earners should be granted access to long term credit facilities with very low interest rates. Lastly, government should provide alternative strategies for house construction as well as provide favourable investment climate, infrastructure and mortgage insurance to low and middle income earners. Survey Method The opinion poll was conducted in the week of October 17th 2016. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://nigerianfinder.com/housing-policy-in-nigeria/ [2] https://economicconfidential.com/2016/01/housing-deficits-myths-realities/ [3] http://thenationonlineng.net/bridge-housing-deficit-fed-govt-stakeholders/ [4] http://www.housingnews.org.ng/high-cost-of-house-rents-in-abuja-which-way-out/ [5] http://dailypost.ng/2016/10/10/lagos-government-introduces-monthly-rent-payment-housing/
- Most IDPs Suffer from Lack of Food, Potable Water and Healthcare
In the words of some key stakeholders interviewed: “The quality of food in IDP camps is inadequate particularly for lactating mothers, young children and the elderly” – Legal Practitioner & Civil Society Advocate “The water is not enough for us. Don’t you see the long queue here? Since yesterday they have not put on the engine to pump water… For drinking, if those that are assisting us bring diesel, then we will have water. But if they do not come we will not have water to drink. I have to send my son out there to beg for water… It has been over a week now.” – Internally Displaced Person in Shuwari Camp Maiduguri “Most us do notknow where to go when we are sick because the health facility in the camp is grossly inadequate to carter for our health challenges and so we have to seek alternative means or the situation gets worse. The Doctors are nowhere to be found in most cases as they are always away and even when they are around, they give us the same kind of drugs for all ailments” – Internally Displaced Person in Bakassi Camp, Maiduguri. Finally, from the survey it is clearly obvious that the overall welfare of IDPs in the North-East is quite deplorable. Hence, it is imperative that Government, INGOs, CSOs, FBOs and other relevant stakeholders synergize properly and use these research findings to proffer solutions to the plights of IDPs in North-Eastern Nigeria. These are some of the key findings from the on-the-ground assessment Survey examining the situation of IDPs in North-Eastern Nigeria.The survey was conducted by NOIPolls over a period of 4 weeks in the month of July 2016. Brief Background According to a 2016 report by the United Nations, the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted into severe population displacement, disruption in livelihoods and acute food insecurity in Nigeria[1]. The North eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have been the worst hit areas, with the areas witnessing several thousand deaths and millions of residents forced to abandon their homes in search of a safe haven; most of the IDPs take shelter in official camps, unofficial camps and host communities. A recent assessment by the medical team of an International medical humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), revealed that there is a health crisisin IDP camps in North-east Nigeria with about 24,000 cases recorded in a camp in Bama, Borno State[2]. More than 1,200 graves, many of them for children, have been dug near the camp in the last year alone according to MSF. The huge number of pregnant women, nursing mothers and children with little or no access to good medical health care facilities have surged the number of avoidable deaths in most of the camps[3]. Over the years, the Federal government, State governments, the United Nations, Private donors, INGOs, CSOs and FBOs as well as other relevant stakeholders have committed funds, introduced several interventions to ameliorate the sufferings of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the sub-region and improve on their general welfare. Sadly, it appears their conditions have not improved considerably as echoed by anecdotal evidences and other indications on the Nigeria media. For example, there was a protest recently by IDPs in Borno state.[4] It was against this background that NOIPolls conducted an on-the-ground situational assessment survey on the state of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. Key Findings Poor Access to Food Overall, the findings revealed that there is serious inadequacy of food and dietary needs for IDPs across camps in the three focal states. Analysis of the survey data showed that about 85 percent of IDPs do not have access to adequate food, leaving only about 15 percent who claimed they have access to food. The reality here is that IDPs don’t eat up to three times a day; at most they feed twice a day across. Typically, IDPs are mainly provided with staple foods which do not deliver enough nutrition especially for babies, children, lactating mothers and the elderly. In the words of a stakeholder: “The quality of food in IDP camps is inadequate particularly for lactating mothers, young children and the elderly” – Legal Practitioner & Civil Society Advocate Difficulty Accessing Clean Water On access to potable water, 78 percent of IDPs described access to water as either ‘Poor’ (63%) or ‘Very Poor’ (15%). Only 10 percent of IDPs rated access to clean water as ‘Average’, while 12 percent considered access to clean water as ‘Good’ (7%) or ‘Very Good’ (5%). Some challenges often associated with water in most camps include lack of diesel to pump water from boreholes, which often results into a situation of water scarcity for several days, leading to poor hygiene and sanitary conditions, and incidence of deaths in IDP camps. Access to Healthcare The survey revealed that access to basic health care in IDP camps is very poor as 7 in 10 IDPs (69 percent) indicated that they do not have access to healthcare, with only 31 percent affirming some access to healthcare. Most of the camps visited could not boast of decent medical personnel and facilities to provide basic First-aid when the need arises. Majority of the key stakeholders interviewed attested to the inadequacy of healthcare personnel and facilities in the IDP camps, particularly for post-natal care. Also, most key informants stated that a portion of the female IDP population lack access to sanitary pads. Evidence of Human Right Violation and Sexual Abuse The data provided evidences highlighting issues of human right violation and sexual abuse of IDPs, perpetrated by various persons, ranging from unscrupulous camp officials and members of host communities (for unofficial camps), to older IDPs taking advantage of the younger vulnerable IDPs. From the survey, about 7% of IDPs indicated that they know someone who had been sexually abused on the camp. Regardless of the degree, we reckon that evidence of sexual abuse isn’t an issue that should be handled lightly; especially as the IDPs confirmed that the abuse was perpetrated by camp officials (66%), members of host communities (28%), and elders (6%). From our visit to some of the IDP camps, we found it disturbing that the rights of movements are being infringed upon, as camps have been turned into semi prison yards where IDPs are treated more like prisoners, and deprived of their human rights such as free movements in and out of the camps, owning phones, or communicating with the outside world. With the level of hardship experienced by IDPs, there was evidence to suggest the existence of the practice of “Sex for food’ or even “Sex for freedom of movement” in and out of the camps. Sexual abuse and exploitation in some cases were voluntary, as some of the female IDPs actually offer themselves to men in exchange for food or money to purchase food and basic female sanitary requirements. “I have reports of women being sexually harassed in camps by security agents, civilian JTF, and managers of camps. This information has reached us, we have investigated a few. We even an instance where a security agent raped a woman, who later gave birth to that child; and later we had to do interventions. Seriously this is happening in camps because from reports reaching us we have seen that there is sex in exchange for food, sex for freedom of movement in and out of the camps, and sex in exchange for money… I think there is no camp that we have not received cases of sexual abuse and molestation.” – Senior Female Lawyer & Advocate in Borno State Rising Mortality of IDPs Alarmingly, the survey revealed that the mortality rate across IDPs camps have been on the rise within the last few months, as 88 percent of IDPs indicated that there have been incidents of deaths in their camps over the last three months. This is likely triggered by the deplorable state of their welfare and poor sanitary conditions within the camps. Rise in Social Vices Further analysis of survey results indicated that, beyond the issue of insurgency, there is a troubling rise in social vice, especially among the younger population in IDP camps, who are now going into the consumption of illicit drugs, prostitution, gangsterism and other forms of social vices. In the words of some key stakeholders: “… In the evenings the IDP girls, they use to sneak out and go to do some prostitution, and make some money so that they can buy food for themselves.” – Senior Member of Borno Civil Society Coalition “Even amongst them, IDP to IDP, youngsters especially have started taking herbs and hard drugs. I was telling someone that until this crisis is over we will begin to count our losses because if you find out how our girls are being abused…” – Senior CSO Member in Yobe State. Reported Cases of Discrimination Finally, the survey revealed a rather worrisome trend of discrimination and marginalization along religious and ethnic lines within the camps. This challenge exists across IDP camps and seriously threatens the peaceful coexistence of IDPs. For a copy of the full report, kindly send email to: editor@noi-polls.com Survey Methods Thesurvey involved a mixed methodology comprising of both quantitative and qualitative data collection. Specifically, three main techniques were employed to collect data, they involved the mapping of key stakeholders which was employed to examine and document the activities of some of the major external actors working to provide support to the IDPs in the North-East region. It also involved face-to-face surveys which were conducted with over 400 IDPs across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states given the limited access of our enumerators to the IDPs; convenience sampling was adopted to target IDPs in both official camps and unofficial camps. Finally, it involved the In-depth interviews with 15 key stakeholders which lasted for about 15-20 minutes; purposive sampling and snowballing techniques were adopted to identify key informants for the survey. These individuals include: civil society organizations (CSOs), international non-governmental organization (INGOs) & aid workers, faith-based organizations (FBOs), and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are involved in providing various kinds of assistance and support to IDPs since the crises began in the North-East, as well as a few IDP camp officials and IDPs. This on-the-ground assessment regarding the situation of IDPs in the North-East was conducted over the course of the 4-Weeks (in July 2016), in English, Hausa, and Kanuri Languages. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54737#.V9PYXE0rLIU [2] http://www.msf.org/en/article/20160622-nigeria-least-24000-displaced-people-dire-health-situation-bama [3]http://www.forefrontng.com/public/index.php?page=Cover&story=The+Rot+In+Borno [4] http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/08/26/idps-protest-poor-feeding-in-maiduguri/
- Nigerians cut down on expenses, adjust feeding patterns and resort to prayers as economic situation
Abuja, Nigeria. August 10th, 2016 – New public opinion poll released by NOIPolls in partnership with Business Day Media has revealed that about two-thirds of Nigerians (66 percent) have been lamenting the worsening state of their personal economic situation over the past three months. This they believe has been triggered by recent happenings in the macro and micro economic landscape, which have resulted into outcomes that have negatively impacted their personal economic wellbeing and living standard. Top on the list of some of such outcomes witnessed by Nigerians include: Increase in prices of goods and services (43 percent); Increase in petrol pump price (18 percent); Increase in the cost of transportation (10 percent); Devaluation and foreign exchange crisis (8 percent); Poor electricity supply (7 percent); Irregular payment of salaries (4 percent); Increase in electricity tariff (3percent). Clearly, these findings are corroborated by recent inflation figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which revealed that headline inflation in May 2016 shot up to 15.6 percent, with about 1.9 percentage points increase on the previous month’s reading of 13.7 per cent; also being the highest recorded in more than 6 years.[1] From the poll results, 97 percent of the entire respondents acknowledge that these recent economic realities have had a negative effect of the general wellbeing of the average Nigerian. Consequently, this has led to the adoption of some coping strategies and measures by Nigerians to manage the impact of the current economic realities. Some of such strategies include: Cutting down on household expenses and luxury items; enduring the situation & seeking the face of God in prayers; adjusting family feeding patterns; creating alternative sources of income and engaging in subsistence agriculture, to mention a few. Finally, as remedies for improving their general wellbeing, Nigerians have suggested that the government focuses its attention on ‘improving the economy’ (33 percent), ‘investing in agriculture’ (15 percent), ‘controlling the price of goods and services’ (14 percent) and ‘reducing the pump price of petrol‘ (10 percent) amongst others. Remarkably, 4 percent of Nigerians believe that resolving the crisis in the Niger-Delta region would end the vandalisation of oil installations, sustain the country’s revenue from crude oil and help in reviving the economy; as well as improving the wellbeing of citizens. These were the key findings from a recent public opinion poll conducted on the economy by NOIPolls in partnership with Business Day Media. The poll was conducted in the week commencing July 25th 2016. Brief Background The uncertainties generated by the volatility in oil prices and the significant drop in government revenue, have affected the Nigerian economy. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria contracted 13.70 percent in the first quarter of 2016 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in Nigeria averaged 0.30 percent from 2013 until 2016, reaching an all-time high of 9.19 percent in the third quarter of 2015 and a record low of -13.70 percent in the first quarter of 2016[2]. Consumer prices in Nigeria jumped 15.6 percent year-on-year in May of 2016, following a 13.7 percent rise in the previous month. It was the highest reading in more than 6 years, as cost of food, housing, utilities and transport surged mostly due to 67 percent increase in gasoline prices. Nigeria struggles with rising import cost due to a weak naira after lower oil prices led to a decline in foreign reserves and as oil production reached a historical low in May after Niger Delta Avengers attacked Chevron oil facilities. On a monthly basis, consumer prices went up 2.75 percent[3]. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has on May 11, officially stopped the subsidy regime on premium motor spirit. The price of petrol is now sold at N145 per litre[4]. There have been many rumours that the naira should be devalued against the U.S. dollar and other major foreign currencies. Currently the currency is exchanged at 355 naira to 1 dollar[5]. With the fluctuating dollar rate, increased fuel price and the double digit inflation, life in Nigeria is anything but easy. Nigerians struggle to go through their daily activities as the salaries and wages they receive have not increased despite the rising food prices. Salaries are still being owed despite the bailout funds[6]. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria recorded over 500,000 job losses in the first quarter of 2016 and this has led to reduced monthly income of many households[7]. Some of the perceived survival strategies Nigerians are adopting in order to cope with the economy includes; reduction in the quality of meals, withdrawal of children from expensive schools, trekking long distances to work and businesses, reduction in regular travels, patronizing second hand clothing, embracing subsistence farming and reduction in entertainment expenses[8]. These reduce the quality of life of Nigerians, while increasing the misery index. To buttress this point, there has been newspaper articles reporting the agony faced by Nigerians as they grapple day-to-day life. One article in particular compiled some anecdotal evidences across the country, reporting that: there’s a growing army of dependent Nigerians, Nigerians are no longer the world’s happiest people, increase in the number of beggars in the streets[9], soup thieves are now on the prowl; incidents of parents offering their children as deposits and collateral; increase of emergency drivers; no imports, no jobs and no money; rising cost and scarcity of medication; increase in cases of liver infection; hospitals are becoming charity organisations; and increasing patronage of herbal homes & rising mortality rate amongst others[10]. Consequently, NOIPolls in partnership with Business Day Media conducted a new public opinion poll to access the perceptions of Nigerians regarding their current personal economic situation and coping strategies adopted to manage the economic situation, over the last three months. Survey Findings The poll revealed that about two-thirds of Nigerians (66 percent) stated that their current economic situation has worsened over the last three months. While 19 percent affirmed that it has improved, 15 percent reported that it has remained the same. These are reflective of the continued dissatisfaction of Nigerians regarding the state of the economy and their desire for an economic revival. Similarly, 83 percent acknowledged that they have observed some socio-economic activities that have affected their wellbeing while 17 percent stated otherwise. Furthermore findings from the poll revealed that 43 percent said they’ve observed increase in prices of goods and services; closely followed by those who observed Increase in petrol pump price (18 percent). Other occurrences observed include: Increase in the cost of transportation (10 percent); Devaluation and foreign exchange crisis (8 percent); Poor electricity supply (7 percent); Irregular payment of salaries (4 percent); Increase in electricity tariff (3percent); Low patronage to businesses (2 percent); and Scarcity of petrol & kerosene (2 percent) amongst others. In the same vein, an overwhelming majority (97 percent) claimed that the socio-economic occurrences mentioned above have affected them negatively. The poll also sought to ascertain the coping strategies and measures being adopted by Nigerians to manage the current economic realities. Interesting, 37 percent of the respondents revealed that they have ‘Cut down on household expenses & luxury items’; while 16 percent say they are ‘just enduring the situation and seeking the face of God in pray’. Also, 10 percent say they’ve had to ‘adjust their family feeding patterns’ suggesting a reduction in the quality and quantity of food they now consume. Other coping strategies mentioned include: ‘Creating alternative source of income’ (6 percent), ‘purchase of locally manufactured goods’ (6 percent) and ‘Engaging in subsistence agriculture’ amongst others. Amazingly, 14 percent of Nigerians ‘have not fashioned any strategy’ or measure to cope with these socio-economic events. Finally, the poll sought the opinion of Nigerians on what government should be doing to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians. The results revealed that Nigerians are of the opinion that the government should as a matter of urgency work hard to ‘improve the economy’ (33 percent), ‘invest massively in agriculture’ (15 percent)’, ‘control the price of goods and services’ (14 percent) and ‘reduce the pump price of petrol‘ (10 percent) and ‘pay workers salary arrears across the nation’ (10 percent) amongst others. Notably, analysis showed that 4 percent of Nigerians are of the opinion that the government should ‘resolve the crisis in the Niger-Delta’ sub-region in order to end the vandalisation of oil installations, sustain the country’s revenue from crude oil and revive the economy; as well as improving the wellbeing of citizens. It is worth noting that we also found 14 percent of respondent who simply said they have done nothing to cope with the current economic realities. In summary, over-reliance on crude oil and failing to save for the rainy days have been blamed for Nigeria’s current economic hardship. The federal government recently reported that its earnings had declined by 40 per cent as a result of the extreme drop in oil prices, as well as, the persistent attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta.[11] Therefore, it is pertinent for policy makers to understand why 15 percent of Nigerians are recommending diversification in terms of investment in agriculture to create alternative revenue-generating bases. Also, 14 percent want the prices of goods and services to be controlled like in the days of price control boards; while 10 percent want the price of fuel to be reduced as the increase has proven to have a relative negative effect on prices of goods and services and cost of transportation amongst others. In conclusion, the poll has shown that most Nigerians perceive their current wellbeing to have worsened within the last three months due to some socio-economic events that occurred with the period. However, economic downturn portends opportunities for repositioning and strengthening the economy for inclusive and sustainable growth. We welcome the government’s efforts at inviting some of the country’s leading economists for dialogue on how to move the economy forward. These are certainly times where all hands are required on deck. Researchers and pollsters are also needed to help the government in gathering primary data to better understand the situation of things, especially at the grassroots and also inform policy decisions. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing July 25th 2016. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited is the No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/nigeria-inflation-hits-6-yr-high-15-6/ [2]http://www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/gdp-growth [3] http://www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/inflation-cpi [4] http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/fuel-price-hike-nigeria-wasted-n10trn-subsidy/ [5] http://www.iproject.com.ng/economics/final-year-project-topics/the-effect-of-exchange-rate-fluctuations-on-the-nigeria-economy-4974/project-topic [6] http://dailypost.ng/2016/04/28/buhari-expresses-concern-over-inability-of-states-to-pay-salaries-despite-bailout/ [7]http://nigerianpilot.com/500000-nigerians-lose-jobs-3-months/ [8] http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/survival-strategies-of-nigerians-in-economic-depression/ [9] http://punchng.com/nigerians-groan-economy-bleeds-1/ [10] http://punchng.com/nigerians-groan-economy-bleeds-2/ [11] http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/07/14/sgf-revenue-has-dropped-by-40-budget-will-be-partially-implemented/
- President Buhari’s Approval Rating Dips to 39 Percent in June 2016
Abuja Nigeria, July 20th, 2016 –Latest governance poll results released by NOIPolls have revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s job approval rating for the month of June 2016 stood at 39 percent. This latest score represents a 9-point decline when compared to the rating in May 2016 which stood at 48 percent. The survey also revealed a general decline in the approval rating of the President across 5 geopolitical zones, when compared to the month of May. The North-West zone at 61 percent recorded the highest approval rating, closely followed by the North-East zone with 59 percent. On the other hand, the South-East and South-South zones had the least approval rating of 8 percent and 24 percent respectively. Nigerians were also asked to rate the President on key indicators and results revealed a high level of dissatisfaction of Nigerians on the performance of the president in the areas of Conflict resolution (28 percent), Agriculture and Food Security (21 percent), Health Care (20 percent), Education (18 percent), Economy (15 percent), Job creation (13 percent), Infrastructure (13 percent), and Poverty alleviation (11 percent) as he was rated poorly in these areas. However Nigerians seemed to show some level of satisfaction with his performance in the areas of National Security (48 percent) and Corruption (45 percent), where he received the highest ratings compared to other indicators measured in the poll. Though the president received an average rating in the area of National Security, more needs to be done in conflict resolution, especially in controlling inter-communal and/or intra-communal conflicts evidenced by the increased herdsmen-farmers conflicts in some zones in recent times. This result is the thirteenth approval rating for President Muhammadu Buhari’s job performance and the 6th in the monthly series of governance polls for the year 2016. It represents the opinions and perceptions of Nigerians regarding the job performance of the President. These are some of the key findings from Governance snap poll conducted in the week of June 27th 2016. Survey Findings Findings from the poll revealed that the President’s approval rating stood at 39 percent in June 2016. Monthly trend analysis on the President’s performance rating revealed a 9-point decrease in his approval rating when compared to May 2016. This represents the lowest approval rating of President Buhari since NOIPolls started its approval ratings of the President 13 months ago; with the highest recorded in October 2016 at 80 percent. More findings from the poll revealed that almost 4 in 10 adult Nigerians (39 percent: 19 percent + 20 percent) approved the President’s job performance. On the contrary, 41 percent (23 percent + 18 percent) of the respondents disapproved of the President’s job performance whereas 20 percent were indifferent. Analysis by geo-political zone revealed that the North-West zone at 61 percent recorded the highest approval rating and this is closely followed by the North-East zone at 59 percent. The South-East zone at 8 percent had the least approval rating followed by the South-South zone at 24 percent. To further evaluate the performance of the President respondents were asked to rate him on some key indicators. The President received the highest rating in the area of National Security (48 percent) and Corruption (45 percent), suggesting some level of satisfaction of Nigerians with his performance in these areas. However, he was rated poorly in the areas of Conflict resolution (28 percent), Agriculture and Food Security (21 percent), Health Care (20 percent), Education (18 percent), Economy (15 percent), Job creation (13 percent), Infrastructure (13 percent), and Poverty alleviation (11 percent). The President’s high rating in the area of national security is an indication of perceived peace and gradual return of economic and agricultural activities especially in the North-East zone where insecurity has been a major problem. However, there are high expectations by Nigerians that the growing Fulani Herdsmen and Farmers conflicts in the North-Central, South-East, North-East and South-West zones, and the lingering bombing of pipelines by militant groups would be given adequate attention.[1] In conclusion, almost 4 in 10 Nigerians (39 percent) approved the President’s job performance in June 2016 and this represents the lowest approval rating since the President assumed office in May 2015. His ratings on some key indicators reflects dissatisfaction of the President’s performance in Job creation, Health Care, Infrastructure, Conflict resolution, Agriculture and Food Security, Education, Economy, and Poverty alleviation; while Nigerians showed some level of satisfaction with his performance in the area of national security and Corruption. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week of June 27th 2016. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed. With a sample of this size, we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of plus or minus 3%. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the general public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect its views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact or for any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken as a result of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact The Editor Email: editor@noi-polls.com [1] http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/206353-want-dialogue-niger-delta-avengers-others-nigerian-government.html

















