57% of respondents were not supportive of the FG’s loan request.
Majority of Nigerians Lukewarm on Trump, Not Supportive of FG’s $30 Billion Loan Request
The November GAIN poll covered several topical issues that cropped up between the October- November timeframe. Two of the major issues addressed by the polls were Nigerians’ expectations on the impact of the election on Donald Trump on Nigeria and their opinion on the $30 billion loan request by the Buhari Government. The survey also covered recurring topics such as approval ratings for various national institutions.
Majority of Nigerians do not support the Buhari Government’s Loan Request
57% of respondents were not supportive of the FG’s loan request. The Buhari government has clearly not made a compelling case for why Nigeria needs to borrow such significant amounts at the current moment. Recent disclosures that the Buhari government has failed to provide a detailed explanation of exactly what the loan will be used for, and the expected ling term impact that the loan will have on economic and job growth, have only served to dampen enthusiasm for the loan request.
The Nigerian Senate, which has blocked the FG’s loan request for now, is firmly on the side of public opinion on this issue.
Nigerians are not sure about what a Trump Presidency holds for them
67% of Nigerians indicated that they did not know what a Trump presidency would mean for Nigeria, while 23% were of the view that a Trump Presidency would be good for the country. 10% of respondents were of the opinion that a Trump Presidency would not be good for Nigeria. The USA has not had a highly visible engagement with Nigeria during the 8 year term of President Obama, and this might explain the ambivalence expressed by majority of Nigerians about what implications the emergence of a new US President might have on Nigeria and Nigerians.
Judiciary Plummets to Lowest Polling Levels in a Year
The Nigerian judiciary plummeted to the lowest approval ratings of all governmental institutions in the November poll, with only 5% or Nigerians rating it as high or very high, dropping from 7% in the October polls. This continuing slide in ratings is a reflection of the very damaging allegations against members of the judiciary and reflects the loss of confidence that Nigerians are starting to have in the institution. The Nigerian army continues to be the most popular national institution with a 63% rating.
With a sitting judge of the Supreme Court charged by EFCC and high ranking Appeals and High Court judges facing blistering allegations of graft, the judiciary will likely suffer reputational damage for a while to come.
Methodology & Disclosure
The survey was administered using electronic media between November 10th and November 19th. A total of 859 complete responses were received. The survey results have a 4% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. The Governance Accountability Initiative for Nigeria (GAIN) Poll is a public service survey intended to track the performance of government at all levels and provide feedback from the public to their elected officials. GAIN also periodically publishes policy statements to provide perspectives on key policy and governance areas. GAIN polls are coordinated by Dr Adeleke Otunuga and Dr Malcolm Fabiyi.
To Contact GAIN, send an email to [email protected].
