Nigeria, omitted in survey of countries Americans favour the most

Nigeria is among the countries in Africa that is left out in Gallup’s 2026 ranking of 21 countries, Americans view most favorably.

Other African countries that were surprisingly absent are Kenya and South Africa.

The survey was conducted by Gallup, a United States (US)-based analytics and advisory company which surveyed 1,001 US adults from February 2 to 16. The survey provided no explanation for Nigeria’s exclusion.

Although Nigeria has a large diaspora population in the US and is one of its largest consumer markets, it was not included in the list.

Similarly, South Africa, one of Africa’s most industrialised economies, and Kenya, a major commercial and diplomatic centre in East Africa, was absent.

Egypt was the only African nation included in the survey of American views on foreign countries, ranking 11th with a 59 percent favorable rating.

Countries which topped the rankings

Japan and Italy topped the rankings as the most favorably viewed nations, while North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Iraq were rated the lowest.

Poll conducted amid geopolitical tensions

The newly released results showed that respondents rated countries ranging from longstanding US allies to major geopolitical rivals.

Overall, the poll captured American perceptions during a period marked by trade disputes, diplomatic tensions and shifting international alliances.

The result is not surprising, as US relations with Nigeria have faced tensions over religious violence, security cooperation and sovereignty.

Ngozi Ekugo

Ngozi Ekugo is a Senior Correspondent at BusinessDay. She holds a Masters in management from the University of Lagos, an undergraduate from University of Lagos, and is in an alumni of Queen's College. Shes currently an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She has a brief experience at Goldman sachs, London in its Human Capital Management division. She is interested in human capital development and is leveraging her varied experience across sectors to report labour and global mobility trends for stakeholders to make informed decisions.