Abuja, Nigeria. April 9, 2013 – Latest weekly poll results released by NOI Polls Limited has revealed that almost 3 in 10 Nigerians (26%) suggest the Federal Government should dialogue with Boko Haram while only 1 in 10 Nigerians suggest amnesty as a way forward. Additionally, almost 3 in 10 Nigerians do not feel safe while 6 in 10 Nigerians believe the Federal Government is able to provide security for the Nation. These are the key findings from the security of the nation poll conducted in the week of April 1st 2013.
From media reports, in 2013 about 250 people have been killed so far in related attacks, bombings and killings alleged to be committed by members of the Boko Haram sect. Recent bombing of the motor park in Kano and attacks in Niger, Borno and Yobe states leaving behind several casualties, loss of lives and properties, have renewed social commentary on what can be done to stem the spate of attacks and solve the security problem in Northern Nigeria. Additionally, the continued kidnapping of Nigerian citizens across the Federation and request for ransom has heightened the need for safety of lives. Against this background, NOI Polls conducted a snap poll to ascertain the views of Nigerians regarding the state of security in the nation.
Respondents to the poll were asked five specific questions. The first question sought to gauge the perception of Nigerians about their personal safety: How would you describe your personal safety? Though the majority of Nigerians (60%: 53% +7%) have a positive view of personal safety (“Feel safe” and “Feel very safe”), almost 3 in 10 Nigerians (28%:24% +4%) claim they feel unsafe. 12% of Nigerians feel neither safe or unsafe.
Additionally, when results are analysed across geo-political zones, key highlights show the South-East has the highest proportion of respondents (45%) that “Feel unsafe”; while the South-West has the highest percentage (69%) of people that “Feel safe”. This can be assumed to be the concerted efforts of the Lagos State Government to fight crime through state intervention programs with the Police (Lagos State Security Trust Fund), whilst for the South East, the continued menace of kidnappings have citizens worried for their personal safety.
The second question sought to determine the perceptions of Nigerians regarding the role of the Federal Government in providing security. Respondents were asked: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the Federal Government is able to provide security for Nigerians? In response, overall the majority64% (58%+6%) agree that the Federal Government is able to provide security for Nigerians while 23%(20% +3%) disagree on this.
Results analysed according to geo-political zones show the majority of respondents in the North-West agree that the FG is able to provide security (76% in total). The South-South (31%) and South-East (30%) have the highest proportion of respondents who disagree and think the Federal Government is not able to provide security for Nigerians. This is connected to the perception that the Federal Government may have neglected to tackle kidnapping whilst concentrating on restoring security to the Northern regions.
Furthermore, respondents were asked the following question: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the response of the Federal Government to the recent spate of bomb attacks and killings? The results show that the majority of respondents are dissatisfied (57% overall; 43% dissatisfied + 14% very dissatisfied) with the response of the Federal Government to the recent spate of bomb attacks and killings in the country. A total of 24% said they are satisfied (22% satisfied + 2% very satisfied), and 19% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
The South-South has the highest proportion of respondents that are dissatisfied (71% total), while the North-East and North-West have the highest proportion of respondents that are satisfied (both 33% in total). Also overall, more male than female respondents are dissatisfied with the response of the FG (58% versus 53%) and more Female respondents are satisfied and neutral about the issue.
The fourth question is as follows: How has the Boko Haram threat affected you personally? Overall, the majority by a considerable margin (71%) claim the Boko Haram threat has not affected them personally. This is followed by 8% and 7% who claim it has restricted their movement and affected their business respectively. Only 5% claim they have lost loved ones and property and now live in fear.
Finally, respondents were asked the following question: How do you think the Federal Government should handle the Boko Haram Issue? Overall, the majority of respondents (26%) think the Federal Government should dialogue with them. This is followed by 16% who think the matter should be investigated further. 14% think the FG should create employment for the youths in the Northern region; while 13% believe military force should be employed against them. Other suggestions are to put strong laws in place to combat the issue (10%), Grant them amnesty (9%), Solicit foreign assistance (6%) and pray or tackle it spiritually (5%). Given the recent plan of government to grant amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect; it is worth noting that while 26% of respondents suggest that government should dialogue with them, only 9% of think they should be granted amnesty.
In conclusion, the results from this current poll have revealed that almost 3 in 10 Nigerians (28%) say they feel unsafe; although about 64% agree that the Federal Government is able to provide security for Nigerians. However, they are also largely dissatisfied with the response of the FG to the recent spate of attacks. Overall, while majority say they have not been personally affected by the activities of the Boko Haram sect, about 25% of respondents still believe the activities of the group have restricted their movement, affected their businesses, resulted into the loss of loved ones and properties, and have caused them to live in fear. Finally, the majority of respondents think the best way to handle the Boko Haram issue is to dialogue with them, investigate the matter further, create employment for the youths in the region and the use of the military.
Survey Methods
The opinion poll was conducted on April 1st to 3rd 2013. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,006 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%. NOI Polls Limited is Nigeria’s leading opinion polling and research organisation, which works in technical partnership with the Gallup Organisation (USA), to conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com
Disclaimer
This press release has been produced by NOI Polls 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 NOI Polls be acknowledged as author whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited or published.
NOI Polls 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 NOI Polls 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 NOI Polls’ current findings and/or thinking.
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