The African Polling Institute (API) has said Nigeria would launch her 2025 Social Cohesion Survey report on July 3, 2025 to bridge the persistent gap between data availability and its practical application in fostering national unity, social harmony and long-term stability.
The executive director of (API), Prof. Bell Ihua, disclosed this during a workshop for media professionals in Abuja to build their capacity to interpret, contextualise and apply social cohesion data in storytelling and advocacy for peacebuilding and national integration.
The workshop with the theme; “Promoting Effective Media Reportage Through the Use of Social Cohesion Data,” also aimed to interrogate and come up with data for Nigeria’s deep-rooted social cohesion challenges.
Ihua said while Nigeria faces deep-rooted social cohesion challenges ranging from low trust in government to high polarisation and poor access to justice, it had become imperative to equip the media with data literacy skills that would be strategic towards shaping narratives that promote unity over division.
He noted that recent findings revealed that Nigerians tend to trust traditional and religious leaders more than governmental institutions, adding that access to justice was largely viewed 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,” Ihua said, “Only the rich and powerful seem able to seek redress, and this perception feeds into wider disillusionment with the state.”
He urged citizens to adopt a mindset that prioritises national identity over 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,” he said.
Prof. Ihua emphasised that data could provide vital insights into issues such as trust, social relations, solidarity, civic participation and perceptions of national unity. He stated that understanding these dimensions could inform policy decisions, enrich journalism and improve national dialogue.
