Organizes workshop to improve on upcoming survey

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

A foremost independent research powerhouse, African Polling Institute, API, Wednesday, moved to identify factors impeding social cohesion in Nigeria.

Speaking at a one-day workshop API organised to focus on how to promote inclusion in the society through social cohesion, Director, Research, API, Olugbenga Ogunmefun, said the rational behind the workshop is basically to
improve on the methodology of its upcoming survey geared towards identifying of hindrances making it difficult to achieve social cohesion in the country.

He also disclosed that the survey which is supported by the Ford Foundation, will be the third round of the Nigeria Social Cohesion Project, which targets widening the focus and scope of social cohesion in Nigeria.

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He also explained that objective of the project includes measurement, tracking the degree of social cohesion in Nigeria and to proffer insightful guide into public policy formulation.

He said: “From the findings of the last one, we found out that Nigeria is not socially cohesive, we are at about 43.53 per cent and that is below average.

“Between last year and this year what has really changed, is Nigeria a better place, is Nigeria more socially cohesive than last year.

“These are the things we are going to find out, we cannot preempt what is going to happen and what the data findings will be.

“That is the essence of coming together and revisiting the survey instrument, revisiting the methodology and at the end of the exercise, we go out to the field and gather data.

“So that at the end of the whole exercise, the survey instrument will be an improvement if need be and be sustained from what we had last year.”

Another top officer in API and a Senior Research Manager, Mr Segun Olajonrin, spoke why the review of methodology is essential at this point.

Olajonrin pointed that the survey is national in outlook, whereby relevant samples from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, would be included in the survey.

“What we mean by social cohesion is togetherness, are we together as a country, what makes us have some level of disparities between ourselves and what are the factors and indicators that have torn us apart over the years, that is exactly what we are looking at.

“We are using 5,000 sample size because it was the same size that was used in 2019 and in 2020/2021 and we want to maintain the same sample and the trend.

“As it stands right now, we want to embark on the field for data collection, and data collection usually takes like 4 weeks or a month to collect data.

“After that the analysis will be done but the methodology we will be adopting is the quantitative approach.

“And it involves multi-stage stratified random sampling where the country will be stratified into their respective regions which is the six geo-political zones and further segregated into their states, senatorial districts and local governments areas”, he said.

Also speaking was API Social Cohesion Research Fellow, Prof Hauwau Yusuf, added that gender equity promotes social cohesion in the country.

Yusuf, who spoke on the topic ‘Gender and Social Cohesion’ also called on the National Assembly to revisit the gender bills recently rejected.

“If we don’t mainstream gender into activities within the state or the nation, then social cohesion may be an illusion.

“It is very important that we mainstream gender into our activities, into policy making, into decision taking and ensure that women are allowed to participate, just as men are allowed to participate”, she said.

The workshop had in attendance representatives from the various civil society organisations, government agencies, and others.

Vanguard News Nigeria