79 per cent of Nigerians lack trust in judiciary — Report

A new report by the Africa Polling Institute (API) has found that 79 per cent of Nigerians have little to no trust in the country’s judiciary, indicating a deepening public disillusionment with the nation’s justice system.

The finding is part of API’s 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey, unveiled during a national dialogue held in Abuja on Thursday. The report says that trust and confidence in public institutions are currently at their lowest levels since similar surveys were conducted in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

API, an independent, non-profit research think tank, said its nationwide survey computed the Nigeria Social Cohesion Index (NSCI) at 46.8 per cent—below the 50 per cent benchmark, suggesting that Nigeria remains a weakly cohesive society.

“In terms of trust in institutions, 83 per cent of Nigerians expressed little to no trust in the government of President Bola Tinubu; 82 per cent said the same of the National Assembly led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abass.

“Similarly, 79 per cent expressed low trust in the judiciary”, under both former Chief Justice Nigeria (CJN) Kayode Ariwoola and the current CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said API’s Executive Director, Bell Ihua, in a statement on Sunday.

The outcome tallies with an earlier 2021 report, The State of Freedom in Nigeria, released by Anvarie Tech, ResearcherNG and Bincika Insights, and supported by the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy.

In that report, which surveyed 1,861 people across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, found that 71 per cent of citizens lacked trust in the judiciary.

It also revealed that 65.2 per cent had no confidence in anti-corruption agencies, and 40 per cent believed elections were neither free nor fair.

Concerns about judicial’s confidence crisis have also been raised internally. In October 2024, the current CJN, Mrs Kekere-Ekun, warned that Nigerians would continue to lose faith in the judiciary unless judges addressed delays in justice delivery.

She cited over 243,000 pending cases in the country’s superior courts, excluding the Supreme Court, as of the first quarter of 2024, and described the slow pace of judgments as “unacceptable.”

“To improve judicial performance, we must embrace technology, virtual courtrooms, and case management innovations,” she said during the National Judicial Council’s third annual conference on performance evaluation.

Survey methodology

API’s 2025 survey was conducted with support from the Ford Foundation. It covered 5,465 face-to-face household interviews between January and February across Nigeria, using stratified random sampling and five languages: English, Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.

Respondents were aged 15 years and above.

The report assessed social cohesion using 14 key indicators—including trust, identity, civic participation, corruption, gender equity, and future expectations.

According to the statement, about 53 per cent of Nigerians said they have no trust at all in President Tinubu’s administration, while 30 per cent expressed little trust.

While 53 per cent said they feel disappointed in Nigeria, while only 33 per cent feel proud of the country.

Also, 59 per cent are dissatisfied with their lives in Nigeria; 53 per cent said they would consider relocating abroad with their families if given the chance.

The report said 61 per cent said corruption has worsened in the past year; 64 per cent rated the government’s anti-corruption efforts poorly.

It noted that 76 per cent are willing to participate in political processes; 79 per cent said they are ready to collaborate across ethnic lines for national unity.

The statement explained that 71 per cent believe women should lead in politics, religion, and business; 63 per cent said they would vote for a woman as Nigeria’s president.

Call for national cohesion and social contract

The survey also revealed that economic hardship is a unifying experience among Nigerians.

“Citizens constantly reference the high cost of food, transportation, and essential services as evidence of a struggling economy under the Tinubu administration,” Mr Ihua noted.

As part of its recommendations, API called for the establishment of a National Cohesion Commission to promote unity, inclusion, trust in governance, and civic participation.

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The group also urged the federal government to develop a new social contract that clearly outlines the rights and responsibilities of both citizens and the state—one rooted in equality, dignity, and fairness.

“Agencies like the National Orientation Agency, NTA, Federal Character Commission, and civil society groups must play a more active role in shaping national narratives and rebuilding trust,” Mr Ihua said.

He encouraged citizens to take part in civic dialogues and nation-building efforts, especially conversations that imagine “the type of Nigeria we want and how to get there.”