General
Survey Shows Nigerians Don’t Trust Media, Government
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Trust is one element some individuals and corporate organisations and even governments try to build because, without it, it will difficult to achieve believability.
When someone or an organisation cannot be trusted, there is trouble and for the government, it could spell doom as its policies would meet a brick wall, which could scare away investors and plunge the economy into crisis.
In Nigeria, the different administrations have struggled to build trust and this has left citizens to trust foreign organisations more than their government.
Are things getting better? The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer Report seems to emphasise that no improvement has been made.
The survey showed that out of the four institutions of government, business, media and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Nigerians trust civil society organisations the most, with businesses coming second.
On the other hand, most Nigerians expressed distrust for the media and returned the lowest trust quotient in the world for government with 24 per cent.
Conversely, Nigerians overwhelmingly placed the highest trust in their employers and in the process revealed their expectations for CEOs and business leaders to be more pro-active in speaking out on societal issues (92 per cent) and driving positive change (79 per cent) rather than wait for government.
At the virtual unveiling of the report by Edelman and its exclusive Nigerian affiliate, Chain Reactions Nigeria, in Lagos on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Mr Laolu Akande, the media aide of Nigeria’s Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, explained that the distrust of government is a result of Nigerians’ natural cynicism and the testy historical relationship between government and citizens.
“Distrust in government is not peculiar to Nigeria. However, the government does have the responsibility to up its game in communication, to demonstrate responsibility and responsiveness,” Mr Akande said, citing the acclaimed National Social Intervention Programmes, and the COVID-19 Survival Fund as some evidence of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s unprecedented responsiveness to Nigerians.
During the presentation of the report by the CEO of Edelman Africa, Mr Jordan Rittenberry, at the event themed Pandemic’s Ongoing Impact on Trust, a foremost journalist, Mr Reuben Abati, while speaking on the finding that Nigerians’ distrust the media, explained that the twin problems of ownership and unfavourable conditions of service combine to make newsmen themselves victims to various agendas.
“Absolute objectivity is utopian. How do you expect journalists to earn trust? It is really embarrassing these days with journalists denied salaries for maybe 10 or 12 months, while some blogs are becoming more authoritative than the mainstream media. And you find the mainstream media, even relying on blogs due to a lack of resources,” he submitted.
On NGO’s emergence as the most trusted institution, the Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, noted that “we have always been connected to the people as civil society organisations.
“And during the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 last year, we mobilized against a number of issues and demanded accountability. Some organisations stood in place of government; in terms of palliatives, in terms of support. They went to areas the government couldn’t reach.”
Commenting on how institutions can further build trust, the Senior Director, Global Government Relations for Africa at Procter & Gamble, Temitope Iluyemi, identified inter-sectoral partnerships and communication.
“We believe in over-communicating. P&G adopted a two-way communication strategy, we held town halls and bottom-top meetings to provide credible information to our employees and take feedbacks.
“We also leveraged the use of data for our marketing strategies, and this translated into deeper connections with staff and customers.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is eyeing stronger diplomatic and strategic ties when it comes to sustainable development as it participates in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport at exactly 11:30 pm local time.
He was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and members of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi.
Several other ministers, including the Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Mohammed Mohammed, welcomed President Tinubu at his hotel.
President Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi from Europe, where he spent part of his end-of-year break, engaging in fruitful discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement by the presidency.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with the theme The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go, is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to advance dialogue and action on sustainable development, climate action, energy transition, and inclusive economic growth.
This visit further reinforces the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while positioning Nigeria as an active contributor to global conversations on sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Finance has directed all shipping companies and airlines operating in Nigeria to submit their manifests through the Single Window Project (SWP) as part of efforts to strengthen cargo tracking and transparency.
The submission of shipping manifests before the change of policy was handled exclusively by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for onward cargo processing and port clearance.
However, following a memo from late last year signed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, all shipping firms and airlines were directed to integrate with the National Single Window platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission.
“I would like to bring to your attention that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the National Single Window (NSW) Project on the 16th of April 2024.
The NSW Project aims to streamline and automate import and export processes at Nigeria’s entry & exit ports, with the dual goals of enhancing trade facilitation and increasing government revenue.
“By integrating the operations of multiple government agencies involved in trade processes on one platform, the NSW platform will ensure faster clearance of goods and services, improve operational efficiencies at the imports and significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“Key components of the Single Window as defined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Customs Organisation (WCO) include: (a) a single-entry point i.e. traders, shipping lines, airlines and other stakeholders should submit all required import and export documentation through a single-entry point on a centralized digital platform, and (b) single submission i.e. all documentation should only be submitted once and data only entered once.
“As a result, the NSW Platform will be the single-entry point of submission for all Sea and Air Manifests. Therefore, all shipping lines and airlines are therefore directed to integrate with the NSW Platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission,” parts of the memo read.
The Comptroller-General of the NCS, the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were copied in the memo.
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