A SURVEY by Afrobarometer, a non-partisan pan-African research network, has shown that Nigerians’ assessment of their personal living conditions and the country’s economic situation have worsened dramatically in the last two years.
According to the report, many Nigerians have grown more discontent about economic conditions, and reported higher poverty level.
The proportion of citizens experiencing moderate or high levels of lived poverty has doubled since 2017, as majorities experienced shortages of basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care during the year preceding the survey.
“Citizens’ ratings of government’s performance on key economic issues – including keeping prices stable, managing the economy, and reducing poverty – are overwhelmingly negative.
“More than eight in 10 Nigerians (85 percent) say the country’s economic condition is bad, a 27-percentage-point increase compared to 2020. Six in 10 (62 percent) describe it as “very bad”.
“The proportion of citizens who describe their personal living conditions as “fairly bad” or “very bad” has increased by 24 percentage points since 2020, from 47 percent to 71 percent. This continues a worsening trend since 2014 (33 percent),” part of the report reads.
The survey also notes that eight in 10 Nigerians (79 percent) experienced moderate or high levels of lived poverty during the previous year, which was double the proportion recorded in 2014 and 2017 (38 percent), after a significant improvement between 2012 (54 percent) and 2014.
Nigerians cite management of the economy (39 percent) and unemployment (35 percent) as the second and third most important problems they want the government to address. They are outstripped by crime and security (41 percent).
“About nine in 10 respondents say the government is doing “fairly badly” or “very badly” at keeping prices stable (93 percent), managing the economy (87 percent), narrowing income gaps (86 percent), and improving living standards of the poor (85 percent),” the report also reads.
As a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network, Afrobarometer is noted for providing reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
Along with its national partners in Nigeria led by NOIPolls that conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice, eight survey rounds in about 39 countries have been completed since 1999, with round 9 surveys (2021/2022) currently underway.
Previous surveys were conducted in Nigeria in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2020.
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