The Executive Director of the Africa Polling Institute (API), Prof. Bell Ihua, has announced that the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey report will be launched on 3rd July 2025.
This is part of efforts to support effective policy, planning, and programmes in Nigeria.
Prof. Ihua disclosed this during a one-day workshop for journalists held in Abuja, themed “Promoting Effective Media Reportage Through the Use of Social Cohesion Data.”
He explained that the workshop aimed to build the capacity of media professionals to apply social cohesion data in storytelling and advocacy for peacebuilding and national integration.
Highlighting Nigeria’s deep-rooted social cohesion challenges—ranging from low trust in government to high polarisation and poor access to justice—Prof. Ihua noted that equipping the media with data literacy skills is a strategic move to shape narratives that promote unity over division.
He pointed out that recent findings revealed that Nigerians tend to trust traditional and religious leaders more than governmental institutions, and that access to justice is widely seen as a privilege reserved for the wealthy and well-connected.
“Our survey findings consistently show that many Nigerians believe that justice is not equally accessible. Only the rich and powerful seem able to seek redress, and this perception feeds into wider disillusionment with the state,” he said.
He urged citizens to adopt a mindset that places national identity above ethnic, regional, or religious affiliations.
“We must begin to see ourselves as Nigerians first. It is this shift in orientation that builds bridges of understanding and strengthens social cohesion,” Prof. Ihua added.
He emphasised that data can offer vital insights into issues such as trust, social relations, solidarity, civic participation, and perceptions of national unity.
Prof. Ihua noted that the upcoming 2025 survey will mark API’s fourth national report on social cohesion, following earlier editions that helped define key indicators for measuring unity, tolerance, trust, civic responsibility, and inclusiveness across the country’s diverse population.
“We present the data in a way that captures people’s attitudes and lived experiences. The goal is to use this data to drive development, peacebuilding, and inclusive governance,” he explained.
Social policy expert and lead facilitator at the workshop, Dr. Olusoji Adeniyi, said that nearly a century after Nigeria’s formation, many citizens still struggle with ethnic bias and perceptions of governance.
“We struggle with accepting the fact that a Fulani man from the North and a southern Ijaw can co-exist. We struggle with understanding that if a Northern President is in office, then every appointment seems to come from the North. If a Southern President is in office, then appointments appear to favour the South. If an Ijaw President is in office, then appointments seem dominated by the Ijaw nation. We still cannot understand that a Nigerian can earn a position by virtue of competence,” he stated.
He added that API had begun to investigate the reasons behind such assertions and was engaging Nigerians scientifically to collect data that could confirm or disprove popular assumptions.
Founder of Akweya TV and media trainer, Odoh Okenyodo, urged journalists to approach social cohesion reporting with professionalism, responsibility, and a strong sense of civic duty.
He advised journalists to avoid sensationalism and instead focus on context, nuance, and solutions-based journalism, especially when reporting on issues that span ethnic, religious, or regional divides.
Development expert, Titilope Ojo, also addressed participants, reflecting on the challenges of balancing editorial independence with media ownership interests.
She acknowledged that many journalists operate under employers who prioritise political or economic agendas over nation-building narratives.