Majority of Nigerians (70%) are dissatisfied with the year 2020 in all aspects, while 30 percent are satisfied, a new public opinion poll reveals.
According to the poll by NOIPolls Limited, a public opinion and research organisation based in Nigeria, the reasons for the dissatisfaction are mainly due to four key areas of shortfalls – economic hardship, insecurity, high unemployment rate and stagnant education system.
“Specifically, the poll revealed that 30 percent of the respondents disclosed that they are dissatisfied mostly because of the economic hardship and hunger they faced this year. Also, 19 percent mentioned high increase in prices of goods and services, 17 percent specified that it was due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic while 11 percent attributed their dissatisfaction to high cost of living in the country,” NOIPolls states.
Analysis of the six political zones in Nigeria shows that South-West zone had the highest number of Nigerians who made this assertion.
Also, with regards to age-group, the level of dissatisfaction increases as the age-group increased, hence, Nigerians aged 60 and above had more respondents (76%) who were dissatisfied in this category.
On the other hand, 30 percent of the respondents mentioned that they are satisfied with the year 2020 as a whole, and Nigerians living in the North-West zone had more respondents who stated this.
NOIPolls conducted this survey to gauge the perceptions and opinions of Nigerians regarding the year 2020 as a whole.
The poll was conducted in the week commencing December 14, 2020. It involved telephone interviews of a random nationwide sample. 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical zones in the country, were interviewed.
“With a sample of this size, we can say with 95 percent confidence that the results obtained are statistically precise – within a range of + or – 4.65 percent,” it explained.
Consequently, the poll also assessed the opinion of Nigerians regarding how well they have fared in certain areas with regards to the year.
Analysis of results reveals that the economy, security and the education sectors took the hardest hit as at least 75 percent of Nigerians are of the opinion that the nation has not fared well in the three areas.
Specifically, 82 percent of Nigerians stated that the nation has not fared well in the area of the economy, more so, 78 percent of Nigerians asserted that the country has not fared well in the area of security, and 75 percent of Nigerians stated that the country has not fared well in the area of education.
Usually, end of the year period for some Nigerians is a time to reflect on what they have achieved thus far and what to expect in the coming year.
However, the year 2020 is particularly a unique year given the impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of the citizenry as a result of measures that were put in place by government reduce the spread of the virus.
The polling agency advised that government and stakeholders in all three sectors highlighted herein move quickly to address all the challenges inhibiting the growth of the sectors and drive growth in them in the year ahead.
