General
78% of Nigerians Still Trust Media—Survey
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The first bespoke 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer conducted for Nigeria by Edelman Intelligence to test the level of trust among Nigerians in the four mainstream institutions of government, business, media and non-governmental organisations has shown that 78 percent of Nigerians still trust the media.
“Trust in media remains high despite ‘fake news’”, the report showed.
This contrast, however, with the global trend whereby trust in the media is on decline especially due to the rise of fake news and post-truths occasioned by the growing social trend called citizen journalism and influence of social media as alternative but ‘unregulated’ source of information.
According to the global data from the report, “Media now least trusted institution; distrusted in 22 of 28 of countries.”
These were some of the highlights of the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer unveiled in Lagos, on Thursday 31, May 2018 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The presentation of the report in Nigeria by Edelman was organised by Chain Reactions Nigeria, Edelman’s Exclusive Nigerian Affiliate and the Preferred West African Partner with the theme, ‘The Battle for Truth’.
Further breakdown of the report for Nigeria indicated that Nigerians also trust NGOs assigning 81 per cent score to the sector while their trust for business is 62 per cent and 60 per cent for government while 72 per cent of Nigerians generally voted that trust matters in everything.
Comparative analysis of the report when African countries such as South Africa, Egypt and Ghana amongst others were compared, also showed Nigeria finishing third highest in trust for the media and NGOs respectively; fourth highest in trust for business, and seventh highest in trust for government.
Speaking at the presentation of the global data from the report, Managing Director, Edelman South Africa, Jordan Rittenberry, expressed concern that the overall global assessment of the four mainstream institutions showed declines in trust about business and non-governmental organisations in 14 of the 28 countries sampled, and therefore called on key decision makers in the respective organisations to be deliberate in building their trust asset through increased investment.
“Over time trends have shown there is low trust in business and non-governmental organisations, so it is important that people in these institutions pay more attention to how the citizens trust them”, he stated.
Rittenberry added that “media is now least trusted institution” as a result of the menace of fake news which he noted has moved from being just a phenomenon to a key factor in shaping perception. “People define media as both content and platforms, so nearly seven in 10 worry about false information or fake news being used as a weapon”, he declared.
Managing Director/Chief Strategist, Chain Reactions Nigeria, Israel Jaiye Opayemi, in a welcome speech enthused that the inclusion of Nigeria in the annual survey for the first in the 18-year-old history of Edelman Trust Barometer was in fulfillment of the company’s promise last year to ensure Nigeria was in focus among the comity of nations of reckon annually sampled by Edelman.
“Trust sits at the heart of social capital. For those who were here last year, we made a promise that Nigeria would be included in the 2018 deck of the Edelman Trust Barometer. I am happy to announce that we are here today to fulfill that promise”, he said.
Speaking on the Nigerian data from the survey which showed that government was the least trusted of the four institutions of the Nigerian society, Opayemi counselled against a quick condemnation of government by stakeholders. He cautioned that, rather than condemnation, government requires help from communications professionals to help redesign the architecture of government communications in Nigeria.
He likened the current situation in most government communications departments to a hospital that is manned by a pharmacist where people with cardiac conditions go to for help simply because the pharmacist is a product of a medical school.
“A pharmacist and a doctor who specialises in cardiology may have passed through the same medical school, but their specialties are different. In human resources practice, the rule is, the job description dictates the hire.
“Let us therefore help those in government articulate the job descriptions, skill sets and requirements for the office of strategic communications in all government houses at the federal and state levels. Such offices must be presided over by professionals in strategic communications who will work with Journalists, Policy Analysts, Digital Analysts, and Infographics Specialists amongst others. That office is not just about putting the penchant to put the President and the Governors in the news; it is about asymmetric communications.
“The structure being used to run government communications in most government houses is not only dysfunctional but also outdated”, Opayemi stated.
He therefore advocated engagement of communications professionals by key occupiers of government positions like the president and governors in order to overcome the challenges around trust and credibility assets of government.
Interestingly, the report showed the media and non-governmental organisations in Nigeria as being trustworthy with 78 per cent of Nigerians saying they still trust the media despite the rise of fake news while 81 per cent affirmed their trust in NGOs. The trust score for business is 62 per cent while government has 60 per cent.
Opayemi while expatiating on these indices said trust in NGOs was indicative of the fact that people acknowledge social interventions and humanitarian services rendered by non-governmental organisations in Nigeria especially during some of the major disasters the country has witnessed rendering thousands homeless.
He however cautioned, that businesses and governments are already sitting in what he called, “the cusp of the neutral zone” and so must urgently improve on their trust asset so they do not slide into what he called “negative zone”. “From what we have seen in the survey, Nigerians place a high premium on trust. It is therefore important for the business leaders to ensure that the company is trusted; that it communicates regularly with clients and customers, and their products and services are of high quality. They must also communicate regularly with employees and the CEOs must champion the effort”, he stressed.
Special Guest of Honour and Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiat Adebule, in her remarks commended Chain Reactions Nigeria for doing the country proud by ensuring the inclusion of Nigeria on the list of the countries surveyed by Edelman, and expressed confidence that the insights from the report would go a long way in better understanding how trust can be leveraged as an asset to improve relations between the government and the governed as well as service delivery from the government to the people.
Represented by the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Ronke Shoyobo, the deputy governor said, “No doubt, this year’s report and the debate of its implications by eminent representatives of the Nigerian government, the business community, the media and non-governmental organisations here today will strengthen the fabric of healthy relations and communications in our nation, particularly government intervention policies and programmes.”
President, Public Relations Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), Mr. John Ehiguese, and President, Africa Public Relations Association (APRA), Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, respectively in their goodwill messages affirmed that trust is everything in today’s world and organisations must do everything possible to build trust and credibility and maintain same in order to remain attractive to their stakeholders.
They also decried the growing menace of fake news and post-truth as a threat to building trust and positive reputation and urged organisations to seek the services of competent communications professionals to navigate the curve.
The highpoint of the event was panel discussions on the report and its implications for Nigeria by a panel comprising seasoned business executives, media practitioners, government officials and civil society activists. Moderated by Data Analyst, Channels Television, Mr. Babajide Ogunsanwo, members of the panel included Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan; Mrs. Ronke Shoyobo; respected Financial and Investment Analyst and CEO of Financial Derivatives, Mr. Bismarck Rewane; Lead Consultant/CEO of Thistle Praxis, Mrs. Ini Abimbola; and Executive Head of Marketing and Communications, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Mrs. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo.
Others were seasoned Journalist and Editor of BusinessDay newspaper, Mr. Anthony Osae-Brown; President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Dotun Oladipo; Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Comrade Debo Adeniran; and Public Affairs commentator, Comrade. Nelson Ekujumi.
Dignitaries at the presentation ceremony cut across the four mainstream institutions of the Nigerian society such as government, business, media and non-governmental organisations as well as the Nigerian marketing communications sector. They included Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Wale Oluwo represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr. Adebayo Ajisebutu; Vice President, Centre for Value and Leadership, Mr. Adegbenro Rasheed; Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Olusegun McMedal; Chairman/CEO, C&F Porter Novelli and past president of PRCAN, Mr. Nn’emeka Maduegbuna; CEO, Blueflower Communications, Mr. Chido Nwakanma; CEO, SY &T Communications, Mr. Simon Tumba; CEO, TruContact, Dr. Ken Egbas; Chief Operating Officer, Soulcomms Publicis, Moji Saka; Chief Operating Officer, BlackHouse Media, Mr. Moruff Adenekan; and Lead Consultant, StepCraft, Mrs. Eniola Mayowa amongst others.
Edelman Trust Barometer is the annual global trust and credibility survey conducted by Edelman Intelligence, the independent research arm of the Edelman – the world’s largest PR firm with presence in 65 countries across the globe The survey consists of 25-minute online interviews whereby respondents are asked questions on how much they trust the four mainstream institutions of society like government, business, media and non-governmental organisations to do what is right.
Since 2001, Edelman has been measuring trust in the four critical institutions in 27 countries, but this year is the first time Nigeria has been included in the survey. The inclusion of an exclusive deck on Nigeria by Edelman Intelligence is on the heels of the significant impressions recorded last year when Chain Reactions hosted the presentation of the 17th edition of the annual global survey in Lagos, the first time ever in the history of Nigeria and since the survey was established in 2001.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government has said it will investigate the collapse of a three-storey building in the Alakija area of the state and prosecute anyone found culpable, while warning residents against ignoring evacuation notices issued on distressed structures.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, gave the warning on Friday while commiserating with the families of the victims, describing the incident as unfortunate.
“Our first duty is to commiserate with the families who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. On behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we sympathise with them and pray that such a tragedy never occurs again,” he said.
Latest update from the state government put the casualty figures at 27 rescued and nine fatalities, including a baby.
He disclosed that 27 persons were rescued alive from the rubble, while nine others lost their lives despite overnight rescue efforts.
“By the grace of God, we have been able to rescue 27 people. Unfortunately, we lost nine persons and this is very sad. We share the pain of the affected families,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the collapsed building had earlier been identified as distressed and marked for evacuation, but some occupants allegedly returned after initially leaving.
“As you can see, these buildings had been marked as distressed and people were asked to leave. Unfortunately, some residents returned after pretending to have moved out, leading to this tragic outcome,” Mr Omotoso said.
He added that other distressed buildings in the area would be demolished to prevent similar incidents.
“All the buildings that have been identified as defective will go down. We cannot wait until another tragedy occurs before taking action. The protection of lives remains our priority,” he said.
Mr Omotoso also condemned the construction and occupation of buildings beneath high-tension power lines, describing the practice as unsafe and unacceptable.
“It is not done in any civilised society. Such developments show disregard for safety regulations and contempt for the law. Government will continue to clamp down on such violations,” he said.
He assured residents that a full investigation into the collapse had commenced, stressing that anyone found responsible would face prosecution.
“The owners of the building are under investigation. Anybody found complicit in this tragedy will face the law. They will be prosecuted because no one is above the law,” he said.
The commissioner said most of the rescued victims sustained no life-threatening injuries, while those requiring further medical attention had been taken to the hospital.
He also praised the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the police, the military, neighbourhood safety personnel and other emergency responders for their swift response.
“I must commend all our emergency responders who worked tirelessly throughout the night to save lives and bring the situation under control,” he said.
Mr Omotoso urged residents to prioritise safety over economic considerations.
“The most important lesson from this incident is that nobody should prioritise livelihood over life. Once life is lost, everything is lost. No business is worth risking human lives for,” he added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), founded by Mr Seriake Dickson, has reacted to reports claiming that a Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, has ordered its deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over an alleged logo infringement.
In a statement on Friday, the political party, which presented Mr Peter Obi as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, said it had instructed its lawyers to challenge the judgment said to have been delivered by Justice Isah Dashen.
“Our attention has been drawn to a ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja this morning, wherein His Lordship, Honourable Justice Isah Dashen, gave a ruling on an application filed by an unregistered association known as Peace Movement Party.
“The public knows that by December 2025, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, as an association, complained of INEC’s refusal to register us as a political party, whereupon we proceeded to the Federal High Court. The Federal High Court upheld our constitutional right to freedom of association under the Constitution and compelled INEC to register us, which INEC did.
“Since then, we have started political activities, embarked on the registration of members, held congresses from ward to national levels, held conventions, and concluded primaries to all offices following INEC’s timetable. We have been fully participating in all INEC activities without let or hindrance.
“NDC also fielded candidates, and fully participated in the just-concluded bye elections in Nasarawa and Enugu states.
“Candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, Presidential, and Vice-Presidential positions have been duly nominated, and we are in the process of formally submitting them to INEC in accordance with INEC’s timetable.
“The association that filed the complaint is unknown to us. The Peace Movement Party (PMP) is not a registered political party in Nigeria. They claimed, in a motion (not even a substantive suit or appeal), that the court should set aside its earlier judgment on the purported ground that, in 2015, they had sought registration as a political party with the victory sign as their symbol and were denied.
“It is important to note that they are not an association applying for registration now under the exercise that started last year. They are also not a registered political party in Nigeria participating in the political process now, as we are.
“Furthermore, the court, having delivered a final judgment in our suit against INEC, had become functus officio. The court had also dealt with all related issues concerning associations claiming they wanted to use the same symbol and colours. The court, in its judgment, overruled INEC when those issues were raised, and there is no appeal against that judgment.
“Therefore, we are surprised that, on an application by an association claiming that it wanted to register as a political party with the victory sign in 2015—an association that is not a registered political party and is not seeking registration now to participate in the current political process—His Lordship came to the conclusion that they have locus standi, and furthermore, that he has jurisdiction to do what he did.
“Accordingly, we have been informed that His Lordship made an order setting aside the court’s earlier decision of December 2025.
“There was no order directing our deregistration. However, we are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made, and we have instructed our team of lawyers to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction and propriety of His Lordship’s order.
“We assure the general public, and particularly our candidates at all levels, that our party is on course. The NDC has not been deregistered, and we are challenging today’s order at the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. We have no doubt that justice will be done.
“We condemn efforts by those who seek to shrink the democratic space and stifle opposition voices and alternatives. Nigerians have a right to a full range of opinions, ideas, and alternatives, and political platforms and candidates should be allowed to participate in the 2027 general election process, which has already gone midway,” the statement read.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has approved the extension of the curfew imposed on 10 local government areas bordering the Old Oyo National Park by an additional 24 hours.
The development was announced in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Musibau Babatunde, and signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr Suleiman Olanrewaju.
The state government had, on June 23, 2026, imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew from 4:00 pm to 8:00 am on the affected local government areas as part of measures to address the prevailing security situation.
With the extension, the curfew, which was initially scheduled to last 48 hours, will now remain in force until Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The affected local government areas are Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo and Atiba.
The government urged residents of the affected areas to continue cooperating with security agencies and to comply fully with the directive as efforts continue to safeguard lives and property.
This development follows the abduction of 39 students and seven teachers in an attack targeting several schools in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State in May.
The attack took place in Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools, according to officials. With over 40 days in captivity, all rescue efforts have so far not yielded results.
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such attacks used to be rare in the southwest of the country.
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