What drives Nigerians

1. Pulse of the Nation
September, 2010

2. In this Report..
1 Background
4
2
3
5
Demographics
Executive Summary
The Results
Contact details

3. Table of ContentsGauging the pulse of the nation…

4. Research Background
 As the present political dispensation nears its end, it has become imperative that the pulse
of the people be gauged to find out their level of satisfaction or otherwise with the
performance of the present government and compare it with the past administration with a
view to determining which groups will receive the highest followership come 2011elections.
 Furthermore, there is need for prospective political office holders to understand the
yearnings and aspirations of the people they are to serve and also identify the shortcomings
of people they hope to unseat with a view to gaining an advantage.
 It is against this background that RMS commissioned an opinion survey to get people’s
views on different political issues.
 Thus this report contains detailed findings from this survey.

5. Who?
Where?
When?
Random: A representative sample of 5000 adult Nigerians aged
between 18 years and above. The sample reflected the
population demographics and was selected via a Modified
Multi-Stage Random Procedure with quota allocation for each
state.
June to July, 2010
How?
Quantitative research technique via face-to-face personal
interviews using a fully structured questionnaire in respondents’
homes
37 states including the Federal Capital Territory. Interviews
were conducted in both urban and rural locations
Methodology
What? National Survey

6. Sample
Size
5000 %
Gender
Male 2540 50.8
Female 2460 49.2
Age
18-20 yrs 743 14.8
21-25 yrs 988 19.7
26-30 yrs 1195 23.9
31-40 yrs 1267 25.3
41-50 yrs 538 10.7
51+ yrs 278 5.6
SEC
AB 98 1.9
C1 197 4
C2 886 17.8
DE 3819 76.3
Region
Lagos 247 4.9
West 940 18.8
North 2553 51.1
East 1260 25.2
National Respondent Characteristics
Field Work in 37 states and FCT

7. Respondent Characteristics

8. Respondent Profiles..1/3
25 24
21
15
10
5
26-30 yrs 31-40 yrs 21-25 yrs 18-20 yrs 41-50 yrs 51+ yrs
Respondent Age
50 50
Male Female
Gender

9. Respondent Profiles…2/3
52
46
2
Married Single Widowed
3 7
24
66
AB C1 C2 DE
Marital Status
Social Economic Class

10. Executive Summary 2/6
59
41
Catholic Protesant
59
41
Christian Muslim
Religion
Type of Christianity

11. Executive Summary 1/5
Governance and Politics
 Corruption is the biggest problem facing Nigeria at the moment, this is followed by poor amenities
(Electricity and water), escalating crime rate and education.
 Asked about how the government is performing, 18% said the Government was performing
satisfactorily, 48% said the Government was somewhat performing, while 3% said its performance was
declining.
 30% of Nigerians said they were very confident the new cabinet appointed by President Goodluck
Jonathan, would perform satisfactorily, 39% said they were somewhat confident, while 10% said they were
not at all confident the new cabinet would make a difference.
 Asked if there was respect for rule of law in the country, 39% of Nigerians said they believed there was
respect for rule of law, 30% said there is somewhat respect for rule of law, while 31% said there was no
respect for rule of law in the country.
 Asked about the responsiveness of the Government to their needs, 19% said the Government was
responsive to their needs, 35% said it was somewhat responsive, while 46% said it was not responsive to
their needs.

12. Executive Summary 2/5
 In terms of infrastructural development, the Nigerian Government was rated low on, Dam
construction, Employment Creation, Poverty eradication, Management of resources, Economic development
and fight against corruption.
 Respondents were further asked what they thought were notable achievements since the Democratic
Government came to power in Nigeria, majority of respondents mentioned; Road network, Provision of street
lighting, Primary Health Care and fight against corruption through (EFCC)
The Presidency
 Respondents were asked to give their feelings about the President’s performance since he took office.
52% of Nigerians said his performance to date was satisfactory, 20% said his performance was static, while
3% said his performance was going down.
 Respondents were asked to air their feelings about the appointment of Namadi Sambo as the Vice
President of Nigeria. 43% of respondents said he was the right candidate for the job, 5% said he was not the
right candidate, while 51% of respondents refused to give their feelings on the issue.
 43% who endorsed the Vice President as the right candidate said he had done a sterling job while
Governor of Kaduna state (31%), while 27% said he was honest and transparent.

13. Executive Summary 3/5
 Those opposed to his appointment were asked to give supporting reasons for their stance. 31% said he
was a political novice, while 26% said there was no meaningful development in Kaduna while he was the
Governor.
 Asked about key development areas the President should focus on during his short tenure, 69% said he
should put adequate arsenal to fight corruption, 55% want him to focus on amenities such as electricity and
water, while 52% said his government should revamp the education sector.
 81% of Nigerians said the President should contest the 2011 polls, 4% were opposed to his
candidacy, while 15% of respondents were undecided. It is important to note that the President’s approval to
contest cuts across region, age, gender and social economic class.
 Respondents in support of his candidature (81%), were asked to give supporting reasons for their stance.
47% said the President had performed above expectations since he came into office, 29% said the President
had the ability to transform Nigeria into a prosperous nation, while 25% said he was transparent and
incorruptible.
 A few (4%) against his candidature were also asked to back up their stance. 22% said the President was
not from their party, 15% said he should give others an opportunity, while 10% said he was not from the
North. These respondents were mainly form the Northern states of Jigawa, Kaduna, kano, Sokoto and
Bauchi.

14. Executive Summary 4/5
Voting and Political party Affiliation
 The ruling Party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has the highest patronage (47%), followed at a far
distance by Action Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)
 When asked the party they voted for in 2007, majority of respondents (43%) said they had voted for
PDP, 10% said they had voted for ACPN, while 7% had voted for ANPP. Asked which party they would vote
for in 2011 Presidential poll, 48% said they would vote for PDP, 8% ACPN and 5% said they would vote for
ANPP. 30% of respondents refused to disclose their intentions.
 81% of respondents said they were going to register to participate in the forth coming general elections in
2011, 10% said they were not going to register, while 9% were undecided.
 Asked if they would vote in 2011, 55% said they would definitely vote, 28% said they would probably
vote, while 8% said they would definitely not vote, these respondents were mainly from urban areas in
Lagos, Abuja and Kano.
 44% of respondents said the outcome of the 2011 polls will definitely not be free and fair, 18% said the
outcome of the poll would be free and fair, while 13% refused to give their opinion on this matter

15. Executive Summary 4/5
Voting and Political party Affiliation
 Asked about what they looked for in a Presidential candidate before deciding to vote for him, 63% said
they considered the candidate’s caliber, 33% mentioned the candidate’s Political affiliation (Party), 31% first
consider the candidate/party’s political ideology, while 27% said they considered the party’s manifesto.
 **Respondents were asked to profile their expectations from the new Government coming to power in
2011. 77% of respondents said the Government should focus on creating employment, 68% said they
should focus on stabilizing the power sector, 57% want to see definitive effort in eradicating poverty, while
51% want to see the Government providing free qualitative education in the country.
**Findings from this question were based on multiple responses. Hence, the total does not add up to 100%.

16. The Research Findings….

17. The detailed Findings

18. Problems Facing Nigeria at the moment…
QG1. What do you think are the key national problems facing Nigeria at the moment?
Challenges (%)
Corruption 71
Amenities (water, electricity) 44
Crime 43
Education 39
Poor infrastructure 36
Inflation 35
Healthcare 31
Unemployment 2
Fuel crisis 1
Base: 5000
■ Corruption is the biggest Problem facing Nigeria, followed by Amenities, Crime and Education…

19. Opinion about Government Performance
QG2. Which of the following phrases represent your opinion about the current democratic government in Nigeria?
48
26
18
5
3
Somewhat
Performing well
Stayed the same Performing
satisfactorily
Got a little worse Got a lot worse
Base: all respondents
 18% believe the Government is performing satisfactorily, 48% believe the Government is
performing somewhat well, while 3% said its performance has declined.

20. Perceptions about Recently Appointed cabinet…
QG3. How Confident Are You The New Cabinet Appointed by President Jonathan Will Bring Change in Nigeria?
30
39
21
10
Very confident
Somewhat confident
Not very confident
Not at all confident
 30% of respondents said they were very confident the new cabinet will perform, 39% said they were
somewhat confident, while 10% said they were not at all confident with the new cabinet
Base: 5000

21. Perceptions about Respect for rule of law…….
Q1G4 . How would you rate the respect for rule of law in Nigeria today?
13
26
30 31
Well respected Respected Somewhat
respected
Not respected at all
Base: 5000
 39% of respondents said they believe there is respect of rule of law in Nigeria, 30% said they
believe rule of law is somewhat respected , while 31% said there was no respect for rule of law in
the country.

22. Responsiveness of Nigerian Government to People’s needs
G4B .How responsive do you feel the democratic government of Nigerian is to your needs?
19
35
25
21
Very responsive Somewhat responsive Not very responsive Not at all responsive
 19% said the Government is very responsive to their needs, 35% said it was somewhat responsive, while 46%
said the Government was not responsive to their needs.
Base: 5000

23. Government Performance rating
Positive
Rating
Excellent Very Good Good Poor
Road Network 66 9 17 40 34
Provision of street lights 57 5 15 37 43
Construction of drainage systems 51 3 14 34 49
Provision of Primary Health Care 60 4 17 39 40
Provision of educational infrastructure 54 3 14 37 46
Provision of health professionals 52 3 14 35 48
Security and law enforcement 50 4 12 34 50
Provision of clean water to citizens 47 3 11 33 53
Construction of dams 42 2 9 31 58
Employment creation 36 1 8 27 64
Poverty eradication 35 2 7 26 65
Management of state resources 44 2 9 33 56
Inviting local and foreign investors 47 3 11 33 53
Economic development 44 2 9 33 56
Fight Corruption 43 3 10 30 57
 Government was rated low on; Dam construction, Employment creation, Poverty eradication, management of
resources, Economic development and fight against corruption
Base: 5000

24. Government Achievements
QG6: What Has Been The Achievement of The Current Democratic Government in Nigeria?
Government Achievements (%)
Road Network 46
Provision of street light 35
Provision of primary health care 34
Fight against corruption (EFCC) 29
Provision of health professionals 25
Provision of education infrastructure 23
Security and law enforcement 22
Construction of drainage system 21
Provision of clean water to citizens 19
Employment creation 19
Inviting local and foreign investors 17
Economic development 17
Poverty eradication 15
Management of state resources 15
Construction of dams 14
Base: 5000
 Road network, provision of street lights, primary health care and fight against corruption are top four
achievements spontaneously mentioned by respondents.

25. President Goodluck Jonathan’s Performance rating…
PY1: Phrases Represent Opinion About President Jonathan's Performance Since He Resumed Office
52
25
20
2 1
Performing
satisfactory
Somewhat
Performing
well
Stayed the
same
Got a little
worse
Got a lot
worse
Base: 5000
 High approval rating for the President (52%) satisfied with his performance thus far.
 20% said his performance has been stagnant, while 3% said his performance had declined

26. Is V.P Namadi Sambo the right candidate for the Post?
PY2: Do You Think Namadi Sambo is The Right Candidate For The Vice President Post?
43
5
51
Yes No Don't know
Why he is right Candidate (%)
He has a good record 31
He is honest and transparent 27
He is qualified academically 13
He was performing well in his state 9
Other 2
Base: 2181
Why he is not the right candidate (%)
He is not a seasoned politician 31
He did not achieve anything when he was Governor of a state 26
He was not elected by Nigerians, appointed by President 23
Base: 233
 43% approval rating for Namadi Sambo as right candidate for the post of Vice President, 5% said he is not the
right candidate, while 51% refused to comment.

27. Developmental Areas the President needs to focus on during his tenure
PY3: Which Policies or Development Programs Should President Jonathan Focus on During His Tenure?
Developmental Areas of Focus (%)
Corruption 69
Amenities (water, electricity) 55
Education 52
Crime 41
Healthcare 39
Inflation 38
Economic development 37
Infrastructure development 36
Break down of rules of law 34
Poverty Alleviation 18
Others 3
Base: 5000
 Inline with problems faced by Nigeria at the moment. Nigerians would like the President to focus on reducing
corruption, provide amenities, revamp the educational sector and fight crime.

28. Should President Goodluck Jonathan contest 2011 Polls?
PY4 Looking at 2011 Elections, Do You Think President Jonathan Should Contest to be Nigeria's Head of State?
81
4
15
Yes No Don't know
Base: 5000
 High approval for President Jonathan to contest 2011 polls (81%), Only 4% said he should not contest 2011
polls.15% of respondents were undecided
 The President’s approval ratings cuts across region, gender, age, SEC and region

29. Why President Goodluck Jonathan should contest 2011 Polls…
Supporting Reasons (%)
Has performed well above expectation since taking office 47
Has the ability to transform our country to a prosperous nation 29
Transparent and not corrupt 25
He will unify Nigeria as one country as he is non tribal 19
He has managed to bring peace to the Niger Delta 13
He performed very well when he was the governor of his state 12
He will bring technocrats to the Government 10
Base: 2528
Yes,
Should
Contest
81%
 Good performance since assuming Presidency, clean track record and good leadership qualities are key
attributes endearing the President to the electorate

30. Will you vote for President Jonathan in 2011 Polls……
PY4c If President Jonathan Should Contested For Presidency in 2011, Would You Vote For Him?
96%
Yes
No
4%
Reason For not Voting for the President (%)
He is not from my Party 22
He should give chance to others 15
He does not have the Political muscle 13
He is no from the North 10
He does not have backing from the north 7
Base: 281
 Overwhelming support for the President’s candidacy with 96%, saying they will vote for him in 2011 polls.
 Only 4%, said they will not vote for him in 2011.
 Those who said they would not vote for him said because he does not belong to their party, some said because
he does not come from the north, while others said he needs to give others the opportunity .

31. Political Party Affiliation
PY5 Which Political Party Do You Belong to?
Political Party Affiliation (%)
People's Democratic Party (PDP) 44
Action Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) 24
All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) 10
Labour Party (LP) 2
All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) 2
Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) 3
Democratic People’s Party (DPP) 1
Alliance for Democracy (AD) 1
Accord Party (AP) 1
Action Alliance (AA) 1
Others 3
Refused 8
Base: 5000
 The ruling party enjoys highest patronage, followed by Action Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and All Nigeria
People’s Party (ANPP)

32. Party Voting - 2007 Polls Vs 2011 Polls
PY6 Which Party Did You Vote For in 2007? Which party will you vote for in 2011
Political Party Voted in 2007 Will vote for in 2011
People's Democratic Party 43 48
Action Congress Party of Nigeria 10 8
All Nigeria People's Party 7 5
All Progressive Grand Alliance 1 1
Labour Party 1 1
Nigeria People's Congress 1 1
None/Refused 29 30
Others 8 6
 The Ruling PDP Party leads with majority of respondents who said they will vote for the party in 2011. Action
Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) follow at a far distance respectively.
Base: 5000

33. Voter registration
PY8b Are you Going To register during voter registration?
Base: 5000
 81% said they will register in order to participate in the 2011 polls, 10 said they will not
register, while 9% were undecided.
81
10 9
Yes No Don’t Know
Yes No Don’t Know

34. Likelihood to vote in 2011
PY8b Are you Going To Vote During The Presidential Poll in 2011?
55
28
9 8
Definitely Probably Probably not Definitely not
Base: 5000
 55% said they would definitely cast their vote in 2011, 28% of the respondents said they would
probably vote, 8% said they would definitely not vote.

35. Sentiments About outcome of 2011 Poll…
PY8c Phrases Best Describes Opinion About The Outcome of The Presidential Elections in 2011
Statement (%)
Will definitely not be free and fair 44
Will definitely be free and fair 18
Will probably be free and fair 17
Will probably not be free and fair 8
Refused/No Answer 13
 44% believe the outcome of the 2011 poll will definitely not be free and fair, only 18% believe the poll will be
free and fair…
 13% of respondents refused to answer….
Base: 5000

36. Key attributes considered when Selecting a Presidential Candidate
PY9: When You Are Voting, What Are The Things That Influence Your Choice of a Presidential Candidate?
Key Attributes considered (%)
Candidate – caliber of person contesting 63
Political party 33
Political ideology 31
Manifestoes 27
Religion 18
Tribal affiliation 9
 Voters consider the caliber of person contesting when selecting a Presidential candidate ahead of Political
affiliation and political doctrine/ideology
 Political affiliation and Political ideology are also critical part of the consideration set
Base: 5000

37. Electorate expectations from the Next Government in Nigeria
PY10: Expectations From The Party Which Will Win The Election to Run The Federal Government
Development Area (%)
Employment creation 77
Stable electricity 68
Poverty eradication 57
Free qualitative education 51
Economic development 49
Infrastructural development 45
Free health care for elderly and young children 43
Building industries 40
Fight against corruption 36
Empowering citizens economically 34
Provision of decent housing for all 27
Reducing environment degradation 25
Continuation of the current reform programs 24
Free education 20
Base: 5000
 Employment creation is at the top of
expectations of a new government in 2011.
 Stable electricity, poverty eradication and
free qualitative education form top four key
areas the new Government needs to focus on
in 2011

38. For more information about RMS
Feel free to contact the undersigned
Josiah Kimanzi –
jkimanzi@rms-africa.com
Research & Marketing Services
26 Odozi Street,
Ojodu.
P.O. Box 8225, Ikeja
Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +234 (1)
7741623, 4704403,7914529
Url: www.rms-africa.com

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