Complexities of political culture
No wonder it's so difficult for outsiders to understand the civic and political culture of Nigeria. The latest Pew Global Attitudes survey finds nearly 90% of Nigerians dissatisfied with the status quo, but 69% expect things to be better for their children.This report on the Pew survey was published in the New York Times.
Africans Are Wary but Hopeful, Poll Shows
"Despite a thicket of troubles, from deadly illnesses like AIDS and malaria to corrupt politicians and deep-seated poverty, a plurality of Africans say they are better off today than they were five years ago and are optimistic about their future and that of the next generation, according to a poll conducted in 10 sub-Saharan countries by The New York Times and the Pew Global Attitudes Project...
"The results showed that the struggle for democracy and good governing in Africa is more like a patchwork of gains and setbacks than a steady tide of progress across a continent that has suffered some of the worst instances of misrule. While all of the countries polled are nominally democracies, half of them have suffered serious rollbacks of multiparty representational government in recent years. A majority in each country said corrupt political leaders were a big problem...
"In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer, the poll results reflect frustration with the way elections are carried out — 67 percent of Nigerians said that their presidential election was not conducted fairly. Presidential and local elections in April were so badly marred by fraud and violence that the European Union called them not credible. Asked if they were generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things were going in their country, 87 percent of those interviewed for the survey said they were dissatisfied. Yet Nigerians were the most optimistic of all the nations surveyed -- 69 percent said they expected that children growing up in Nigeria would be better off than people today...
"But more resource wealth has not necessarily led to broad prosperity. Of the respondents in Nigeria, 82 percent said average people were not benefiting from the country’s oil wealth..."
See also:
- The Pew Global Attitudes Project
- AfroBarometer reports on Nigerian public opinion
- For other global opinion poll reports, see Angus Reid Global Monitor
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:19 AM
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