A recent national survey conducted by Chatham House in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has exposed a deep erosion of public trust in Nigeria’s key institutions.
The survey ranked the Nigeria Police Force, the presidency, and the federal government among the least trusted institutions in the country.
The survey, published under the Social Norms and Accountable Governance Project, explores how trust, or the lack thereof, in public institutions affects governance and accountability, News Point Nigeria reports.
The results paint a grim picture in Africa’s most populous nation, where nearly 46 percent of Nigerians reported that they “greatly distrust” the police, while only seven percent expressed strong trust in the force.
The presidency and the federal government recorded only marginally better trust ratings, with 36 percent of respondents expressing deep distrust for the presidency and 35 percent for the federal government.
Other governance bodies such as the courts, local councils, and state politicians also received low trust marks, indicating a widespread crisis of confidence across public institutions.
The report attributes this pervasive distrust to decades of ineffective governance reforms.
Despite over 25 years of anti-corruption campaigns, researchers argue these efforts have failed to deliver genuine accountability.
Instead, political dynamics dominated by party loyalty, unchecked misconduct, and selective law enforcement have severely undermined public confidence.
“Corruption has not only weakened Nigeria’s economy but corroded public trust in governance, fuelling repeated crises of legitimacy,” the report stated.
The survey also revealed a striking contradiction in public values.
While 59 percent of Nigerians agreed that in their communities “power matters more than honesty,” a larger share, 73 percent, said people feel bad when others are exploited.
Researchers interpret this as a reflection of the harsh social and economic realities many Nigerians face, prioritizing self-preservation alongside an enduring desire for fairness and justice.
Amid the widespread cynicism, the study found some grounds for optimism.
Nearly half of those surveyed believe their local communities are willing to monitor public spending on development projects.
Chatham House noted that the civic readiness surpasses the global threshold for effective citizen-led accountability movements.
The report recommends that anti-corruption strategies harness this communal desire for transparency by empowering citizens to demand better governance from their leaders.
These findings arrive at a critical juncture as the Nigerian government seeks to broaden its tax base.
However, the report warns that without rebuilding public trust, voluntary compliance with tax reforms remains unlikely.
To restore confidence, the researchers urge political leaders to clearly demonstrate how tax revenues are translated into public services, a step they say could help mend the fragile bond between citizens and the state.
“Nigeria is faced with a fundamental question: how to reduce the cost of being honest in a system where corruption is entrenched and formal institutions are widely distrusted,” the report stated.
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