Respondents also say that selfishness among the rich causes many of Nigeria’s problems and affects the public.
A new report by Edelman Trust Barometer released in Lagos on Wednesday revealed Nigerians’ perceptions of governments, businesses and the rich.
The report also reveals that the proportion of Nigerians feels that the system prefers a privileged minority at their expense.
Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual world survey that measures public trust in four major institutions: government, business, NGOs and media.
In Nigeria, where economic hardships, anxiety and governance challenges continue, trust barometers provide a valuable lens for how citizens feel and where they place their hopes and dissatisfaction.
The 2025 edition is especially important as it strengthens citizens’ frustration and tracks globally 25 years of trust during a period of time for reform.
First launched in 2001, this benchmark has become a widely referenced benchmark for understanding how people around the world perceive institutional integrity, capabilities and ethics.
Tagged with the trust and crisis of complaints, the report was launched to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Edelman Trust Barometer, who changed his mind due to the complaints people have.
In his keynote address, Wandil Cindy, senior strategist and reputation advisor for Edelman Africa, explained that the findings show that seven in 10 people are dissatisfied with the government for intentionally misleading people.
He said 62% agreed that the rich don’t pay a significant amount of taxes, while 74% said that the selfishness of the rich say that much of Nigeria’s problems affects ordinary citizens.
Due to the endless challenges, he noted that around 52% of Nigerians support hostile activity and promote change across the country.
The report said that while trust in other institutions such as NGOs, businesses and the media has improved slightly, the government remains the least trusted. Its ability and ethics were rated -46 and -31, respectively.
Nigeria’s overall confidence index rose slightly from 61 in 2024 to 65 in 2025, but Cindi warned that worsening economic unrest is driving increasing frustration.
“From automation to offshoring, there’s been a huge increase in employment-related fears,” he said. “Even employers, which have long been considered trustworthy, are losing confidence in the public.”
He explained that the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer surveyed more than 33,000 people in 28 countries, including Nigeria, in its 25th year.
He said that the online interviews conducted between October 25th and November 16th, 2024 sampled around 1,150 respondents nationwide.
He emphasized that demographics have a balance between age, gender, region and, where applicable, ethnicity or nationality. Year-over-year changes in confidence levels were tested for statistical significance using a 99% confidence level.
“This is the 25th year of measuring trusts across four institutions: government, business, NGOs and media,” Cindi said. “The 2025 report reveals the growing crisis of complaints, a deep sense of injustice and resentment that is reshaping public awareness.”
Global trends and local optimism
Globally, the most reliable countries remain China, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, while the UK, Germany, Korea and Japan are at the bottom. Despite Nigerian challenges, 50% of Nigerians remain optimistic about the future. It is higher than most developed countries.
Cindy said fears about discrimination are also increasing, with 75% of Nigerians reporting concerns about bias. This fear has skyrocketed beyond the income band, especially among high-income earners.
Despite these harsh findings, Cindy said there is still room for leadership and institutional repairs.
“It can only be rebuilt when an institution acts ethically and competently,” he said. “In Nigeria, NGOs and businesses are considered both. The government must show results that improve daily life.”
He added that businesses have opportunities and hopes, particularly in the fight against job creation, retraining and misinformation.
Cindi encouraged collaboration across all sectors.
Enter the panelist
A panel of leaders in the academia, business and nonprofit sectors is also working on the findings and calling for greater cooperation across the sector to rebuild public trust.
The panel, hosted by Olive Emody, included Kwame Senou, executive director of Holding Opinion (THOP). Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice Chair of AIG-Imoukhuede Foundation. Ikechukwu Obiaya, Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University. Amaechi Okobi, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Access Holdings.
Opening the session, Mrs. AIG-Imoukhuede said that Nigerians often work with silos and offer almost a solution, denounced others.
“We’re good at complaining, but we’re not that good at providing solutions,” she said. “Collaboration is important. The problems we face as a country cannot be solved by one group alone.”
Obiaya agreed and urged Nigerians to reflect on their role. “The complaints are real, but we have to ask ourselves, too. Which part am I playing? We can’t leave it to the government or NGOs. We are all part of the solution.”
But Okobi emphasized that trust must begin on an individual level. “How can you build trust if an employee feels that they lack empathy with their superiors?” he asked.
He shared a personal anecdote: “When I stopped reporting problems and started proposing solutions, my leader heard. That collaboration and responsive spirit is what Nigeria needs.”
Speaking about the importance of institutional reform, Mrs. AIG-Imoukhuede has highlighted the work of the Foundation modernizing civil servants.
“We’re focusing on civil servants. We’re trying to improve that. One of the big projects we’ve been working on since 2020 is digitalisation. It prevents federal civil servants from moving from manuals to digital processes. This will remove many of the Nigerian issues in accessing government services.”
She highlighted interdependence between sectors. “When the public sector thrives, the private sector thrives. They are calling for help building capacity for public institutions. Many civil servants don’t even have the resources or workspace they need.
Regarding transparency and accountability, Mrs. AIG-Imoukhuede said, “Data is extremely important. If you have evidence, there is more than just an opinion. You have facts.”
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She cited Tracka, a Budgit Platform that allows citizens to monitor government projects in their communities.
“The transformation took place because people can ask. This classroom was supposed to be built. Where is it?” she said.
Mr. Senu raised the basic question: “Are we really a nation or are we individuals living within the borders?”
From the experiences of Nigerian children as foreigners and fathers, we observed that Nigerians act urgently on personal issues, but often depart from collective responsibility.
“When it’s personal, people act, but when it’s about the community, we point our fingers,” he said.
In response to a survey that seven in 10 Nigerians believe journalists are deliberately misleading, Obiaya highlighted the systematic challenges in the media industry.
“Politicians own many media houses. During the election cycle, journalists often cannot publish freely. In addition to their poor salary, it is difficult to maintain ethics,” he added.
In a well-intentioned message representing Alik Kalani, president of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), Omony Ibietan, Secretary-General of the Association, Barometer praised it as an important tool for understanding leadership and trust in communication.
“It is an honor to celebrate the launch of the 23rd edition of Edelman Trust Barometer. This is a groundbreaking achievement that not only celebrates a quarter century of global research, but also reflects the growing importance of trust as a currency for modern leadership,” he said.
Ibietan emphasized that trust is central to meaningful communication, the effectiveness of leadership and social development.
