The 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Data Report has been officially launched in Abuja, the nation’s capital, shedding light on the state of unity, inclusion, and mutual trust among Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic lines.
The report, developed through extensive data collection and stakeholder collaboration, provides key insights into the challenges and opportunities for strengthening national cohesion.
The Data Report which was launched by the African Polling Institute API with the support of the Ford Foundation has the theme “Rebuilding Citizens’ Trust and Public Confidence in Government and Public Institutions.”
Speaking at the Launch, the Chairman of the Occasion and former Governor of Ekiti state Dr Kayode Fayemi said that the discussion of Social cohesion is beyond politics as it affects the different key aspects responsible for the country’s development.
Feyemi who was represented by Ahmed Surajo noted that to discuss social cohesion is to identify where the disconnect is.
“What we are discussing here today is beyond politics. We are discussing the future of our country we are discussing the strengthening of our democracy and the governance of our country, we are strengthening our social relationships, we are also conversing around the social contract within ourselves as a people because we need to understand ourselves very well so that we can build a better nation.” He said.
He stated the need for elite consensus to build trust and confidence among citizens.
Former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi in his address, urged Nigerians to stop outsourcing responsibility to political leaders.
“The elite know the problems, but unless the people act, change will not happen,” he said.
He advocated for stronger civic engagement and economic empowerment as tools to rebuild trust and reduce insecurity.
Director of the Abuja school of social and political thought, Dr Sam Amadi explained that all countries in the world have diversity but what matters is how the diversities are turned into advantages.
“So I think Nigeria’s first job is to be clear-minded, that we are one people, we want to be one. Even if people are of the same ethno-religious cultural entity, they can still be divided if they are not careful. Secondly, we need to, at the level of government, begin to be conscious of communications support in terms of not just verbal but the things we do, how we treat the citizen so that the Nigerian citizen has the notion that he’s a Nigerian citizen. The third thing to do is what we call positive reinforcement. We need to now construct institutions, products that reinforce that idea of a Nigerian citizen,” he said.
Dr Amadi reiterated the need to invest in symbols where the government own them and uses them to create a Nigerian people.
“Don’t just do culture as consumables, use them to create a national consciousness and oneness.” He added.
Regional Director of Ford Foundation West Africa, Dr. Chichi Aniagholu underscores the importance of continuous measuring of Social Cohesion in Nigeria as an aspect of its development.
“You need to be able to have a society that trusts the system, that trusts each other, that trusts in their future. And so the Ford Foundation, for several years, has supported API.
“The reality also is that there is a difference between perception and reality, and the fact that people feel a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean that it is that way, but what it does is that it gives you the impression and the understanding as to why people will feel that things are a particular way, even when they are not. Sometimes they are but sometimes they are not. And what it means is that the government and all the other social actors need to pay attention to not just the things that they do, but to the perception of the things that they do,” she stated.
The Chief Executive Officer of Africa Polling Institute Prof Bell Ihua noted that Africa Polling Institute has been conducting an Annual national social survey since 2019.
He revealed that the 2025 report which was just released has very telling information about the level of citizens’ trust, Public confidence in the current government and also that citizens are united in a shared struggle based on the economic realities they are facing at the moment.
“So we see a lot of citizens coalescing because, you know, they’re united in that shared struggle.”
“The others have to do with the issue of identity, issue of social justice, issue of civic participation. These are areas that we need to look into,” he added.
Prof Ihua hoped that the data sorted from the field would help the government to know the exact situation of the citizens and begin to put policies in place, so that the next round of surveys will show improvements in data.
A social policy expert and Dr. Olusoji Adeniyi said that there is a need for improvement in the education sector.
“We chose the weakest of us to lead us in the education space. It is the least qualified that goes to Colleges of education and faculties of education. So we have teachers who did not meet the requirement to teach our children in the classrooms, and because those teachings are not happening in the classrooms, children are dropping out because learning is not happening. And we are reporting learning poverty as a mutual indicator of development, whereas we are causing learning poverty deliberately, because we are not choosing how to genuinely educate our people”. He said.
He noted that the developed Asian nations took their time to change their whole curriculum, and started teaching skills.
The 2025 edition of the National Social Cohesion Dialogue brought together political leaders, civic advocates, academics and concerned citizens to reflect on the widening trust deficit and rising disaffection across Nigerian society.
The dialogue featured the unveiling of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey Report by the Africa Polling Institute (API).