By Benita Okoro
The Africa Polling Institute (API) has unveiled its 2026 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey, revealing a modest improvement in the country’s social cohesion index while highlighting persistent public distrust in government institutions.
The report, presented during the National Social Cohesion Dialogue 2026 held in Abuja on Thursday, measured Nigeria’s Social Cohesion Index (NSCI) at 48.8 percent, representing a two-percentage-point increase from the previous survey and the highest score recorded since the study began. However, the figure remains below the 50 percent benchmark considered the threshold for a socially cohesive society. 
Speaking at the unveiling, API Executive Director, Professor Bell Ihua, said the findings demonstrate that despite Nigeria’s economic and social challenges, citizens continue to show resilience and a willingness to coexist across ethnic, religious and regional divides.
One of the major highlights of the report is that, for the first time since the survey commenced, a majority of respondents identified themselves primarily as Nigerians rather than by ethnic, religious or regional identities. API described this as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s nation-building journey and evidence of a growing sense of shared national identity.
The survey, conducted between January and February 2025 with support from the Ford Foundation, interviewed 5,315 Nigerians aged 15 years and above through face-to-face household visits across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Respondents were interviewed in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba using a stratified random sampling method.
Trust Deficit Persists
Despite the improved cohesion index, the survey found that confidence in government institutions remains low.
According to the report, 72 percent of Nigerians expressed little or no trust in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while 77 percent said they had little or no confidence in the National Assembly. The judiciary also recorded low trust levels, with 73 percent of respondents expressing little or no confidence in the institution.
Conversely, religious and traditional leaders remained the country’s most trusted institutions. The survey found that 51 percent of respondents expressed significant trust in religious leaders, while 45 percent trusted traditional rulers.
The National Assembly emerged as the least trusted public institution in the survey, replacing the Nigeria Police Force, which previously occupied that position.
Nigerians Show Strong Patriotism
The report also paints a positive picture of Nigerians’ willingness to contribute to national unity.
About 71 percent of respondents said they were willing to make personal sacrifices for the collective good of the country, while 77 percent expressed readiness to work with people from different ethnic backgrounds to strengthen national unity.
Similarly, 73 percent indicated their willingness to participate actively in the political process to improve governance, while 89 percent supported inter-ethnic marriages. Support for inter-faith marriages stood at 62 percent.
Divisions Still Deep
Although signs of national unity are emerging, the survey found that perceptions of division remain widespread.
Nearly half of respondents (48 percent) believe Nigeria is more divided today than it was four years ago, an increase from 31 percent recorded in the previous survey. However, 20 percent believe the country has become more united during the same period.
Political party affiliation was identified as the leading cause of societal division, with 56 percent of respondents citing it as the primary source of conflict, followed by ethnicity (46 percent) and religion (44 percent).
Growing Support for Gender Inclusion
The survey equally revealed increasing public support for women’s participation in leadership and equal opportunities.
About 69 percent of Nigerians agreed that women should be allowed to lead in politics and corporate organisations, while 84 percent supported equal access to education for boys and girls.
Furthermore, 62 percent supported equal inheritance rights for women, and 66 percent agreed that women who marry outside their states of origin should be entitled to benefits in both their home states and their husbands’ states.
On elective offices, 60 percent of respondents said they would vote for a woman as President of Nigeria, while 66 percent would support a female governor and 73 percent would vote for a woman seeking election as a local government chairperson.
Mixed Feelings About Nigeria’s Future
The survey showed that 45 percent of Nigerians are dissatisfied with their current quality of life, compared to 41 percentwho expressed satisfaction.
More than half of respondents (55 percent) said they would relocate abroad with their families if given the opportunity, although 28 percent indicated they would prefer to remain in Nigeria.
Despite these concerns, optimism about the country’s future appears to be growing, with 61 percent expressing confidence that Nigeria’s future will be better than its present circumstances.
API Recommends National Social Cohesion Commission
Based on the findings, the Africa Polling Institute called for the establishment of a National Social Cohesion Commission, similar to Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission, to promote inclusive governance, strengthen national identity, improve trust in public institutions and foster peaceful coexistence.
Alternatively, the institute proposed the creation of Social Cohesion Desks across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure that public policies and development programmes are inclusive and socially responsive.
API stressed that the growing sense of Nigerian identity presents an opportunity for government to deepen national integration through reforms that promote equity, justice and citizen participation.
Religious and Traditional Leaders Call for Unity
The report was unveiled during the National Social Cohesion Dialogue 2026, which brought together religious leaders, traditional rulers, policymakers and civil society stakeholders to discuss pathways toward a more united Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Dr. Fr. Emmanuel Unamba urged Nigerians to embrace love, compassion and collective responsibility as the foundation for national development. He warned against growing individualism, noting that sustainable progress requires citizens to place the common good above personal interests.
Acclaimed spoken-word artist Dike Chukwumerije also delivered a stirring performance, reflecting on Nigeria’s enduring divisions and urging citizens to shape the country’s future through dialogue and a shared commitment to unity.
During the panel session, Archbishop Dr. Emmah Isong likened religion to a knife, explaining that while the same tool can be used by a surgeon to save lives, it can also be misused by a criminal to inflict harm. He argued that religion itself is not the problem but how individuals choose to use it, adding that personal responsibility remains essential for building a better society.
Peace advocate Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa highlighted Kaduna State’s culture of forgiveness despite years of violent conflict, describing reconciliation as an indispensable ingredient for lasting peace.
Traditional ruler Eze Felix E. Otuwarikpo Upata III expressed concern that political leaders increasingly sideline traditional institutions in governance, arguing that such practices weaken grassroots leadership and community cohesion.
Also speaking, Rev. Dr. James recounted his remarkable journey from violent conflict to reconciliation with Imam Ashafa. He revealed that both men had once viewed each other as enemies before discovering they had been manipulated by divisive narratives. Reflecting on the loss of lives and his own hand during the conflict, he described their eventual reconciliation as proof that dialogue, forgiveness and mutual understanding remain powerful tools for healing divided communities.
He called on religious and traditional leaders across Nigeria to reject narratives that promote hatred and instead champion peace, reconciliation and national unity.
