A new survey conducted by the Africa Polling Institute (API) has revealed a sharp decline in public confidence in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria’s major public institutions.
According to the Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey 2025, 83% of Nigerians said they have “little or no trust” in the current federal government.
The sentiment is nearly the same for the legislative arm, with 82% expressing a lack of trust in the National Assembly, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The judiciary did not fare much better in the public’s eye.
The report showed that 79% of Nigerians similarly expressed “little or no trust” in the judicial system, referencing both the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kayode Ariwoola, and the current CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
In comparison with data from previous editions of the survey conducted in 2019, 2021, and 2022, this year’s findings reflect the lowest levels of citizen trust recorded to date.
The report was officially unveiled over the weekend in Abuja and highlighted a troubling erosion of social cohesion across the country.
The Social Cohesion Index stood at 46.8%, signifying a fragile sense of unity among Nigerians.
The API, with support from the Ford Foundation, carried out the survey between January and February 2025, interviewing 5,465 Nigerians aged 15 and above through face-to-face household interviews.
The sample covered all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, ensuring proportional representation across all senatorial districts.
Interviews were conducted in five major languages: English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.
One of the standout findings was a rising sense of solidarity among Nigerians not based on national pride or unity of purpose, but rather a shared struggle against worsening economic conditions.
The report noted that “citizens constantly allude to economic hardship, high costs of transport, and goods and services, as well as the lack of economic prosperity under the Tinubu economy.”
Among other key findings, 53% of Nigerians said they now “feel disappointed in Nigeria.”
