A new public opinion poll released by NOIPolls has revealed that the top three areas Nigerians want the government to focus its effort in 2021 include economy (51 percent), education (50 percent) and security (45 percent).
The other areas, according to the poll, where Nigerians expect the government to focus its attention include infrastructure development (road) (42 percent), electricity (36 percent), health (29 percent), agriculture (19 percent), job creation (10 percent), reduction in prices of goods and services (5 percent) and lastly water (2 percent).
With regards to the economy, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that the Nigerian economy slipped into recession at the end of the third quarter which ended in September 2020 after it shrank by 6.1 percent in Q2 2020. According to the NBS, this recession is the worst since 1987 as the Gross Domestic Product in real terms declined by 3.62% (year-on-year) in the third quarter of 2020 and is driven by the long closure of the borders which restricted economic movements across the borders.
Interestingly, respondents lamented over the high cost of goods and services in the country during the course of the survey, hence the demand for the government and decision makers to focus their attention on the economy in 2021.
On education, 50 percent of Nigerians nationwide want the government to significantly focus its attention on the sector, given the low budget allocated to the sector as well as the reoccurring strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which crippled academic activities in the citadels of learning.
Source: Blueprint
