In commemoration of the 62nd Independence Day celebration, Nigerians have expressed pride in their country despite rising insecurity and other critical challenges which could affect the corporate existence of the country.
According to a new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls, 77 percent of adult Nigerians surveyed affirmed that they are proud to be Nigerians because they believe it is their fatherland (63 percent) and they have nowhere else to call home.
The poll which was conducted in March 2022, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,600 adult citizens to gauge how safe Nigerians feel across the country. It showed that in growing numbers, citizens report feeling unsafe in their neighbourhoods and their homes.
The finding indicated that 55 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide expressed support for restructuring the country mainly because they believe each region will be able to develop its own resources.
In the assessment of adult Nigerians, the greatest challenge the country is currently facing includes insecurity (37 percent), bad governance (22 percent), bad economy (16 percent), corruption (8 percent), poverty (4 percent), unemployment (3 percent), poor educational system (2 percent), and disunity/tribalism (2 percent) amongst other challenges.
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“The finding showed that the call for restructuring resonates more with Nigerians residing in the North-West (63 percent) and South-West (63 percent) given that they accounted for the larger proportion of Nigerians who made this assertion.
“It is understandable to note that a larger proportion of adult Nigerians (37 percent) feel that the country is not secure given recent media news on the activities of bandits and kidnappers across the country.”
However, the proportion of adult Nigerians who mentioned the poor educational system is surprising given that university students has been at home for over seven months due to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike action over unpaid allowances by the Federal Government.
