Edelman Trust Barometer: The 2025 Nigeria report, by Omoniyi Ibietan

Nigerians upped their trust level marginally, believe their leaders lie, trust in NGOs, businesses and media more than the government, trust AI more than other Africans, but distrust CEOs.

These revelations came last night (16th April 2025) at the presentation of the 2025 Edelman Nigeria Trust Report at FourPoints by Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, where I had the honour to present the keynote speech at the behest of my brother, Arik Karani, President of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) who had graciously asked me to be there in his stead. So, I was delighted that trust level in Nigeria has improved, though marginally, from 61 percent in 2024 to 65 percent in 2025, even as 7 in 10 Nigerians believe their leaders lie.

Naturally, as income-based trust gap widens, majority of the respondents to the Edelman study feel the wealthy takes more than their fair share of national wealth and the rich are getting richer as the systems favour them. Interestingly, 1 in 2 people believe hostile activism, including on social media, can drive change.

Curiously, Nigerians seem to trust Artificial Intelligence more than other Africans, ostensibly because Nigeria has more unicorns (Interswitch, OPay, Moniepoint, Flutterwave, Andela) than other countries on the continent. A unicorn is a startup or company that achieved a valuation of $1 billion without being quoted in the stock market.

Produced for eight consecutive years, the 2025 Nigerian Report, titled, TRUST AND THE CRISIS OF GRIEVANCE, was presented by Wandile Cindi, Edelman’s senior strategist in South Africa. The presentation, done with precision, accuracy and civility of a methodical researcher, the Nigeria report indicated that lack of confidence has created a crisis of grievance. Twenty-eight countries usually feature in the Edelman Barometer, three of them – Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya – are from Africa. Importantly, four systems, namely: Government, Businesses, Media and Non-Governmental Organisations are the focal points of measurement. It is interesting to find that Kenyans and Nigerians are optimistic of a better future than South Africans.

Reinforcing the findings of the Africa Polling Institute (API) in 2021 on social cohesion and its own earlier study in 2022, Edelman Trust Barometer reveals again in 2025 that trust in government by citizens is on a rapid descent and still low. As API found in 2021, Edelman 2025 report on Nigeria has underscored the fact that people trust Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) better than government. There is also a higher trust in businesses and media than for government. In other words, NGOs, businesses and media are seen as more competent and ethical than government. “Massive grievances are for government”, Cindi stated. However, Chief Executives of businesses are distrusted by members of staff.

In a beautiful rendition, Cindi informed that 33,000 respondents were involved in the 2025 study and over 1500 of the respondents were Nigerians. Prejudice, discriminations and racism remained the key sources of worry because respondents are more afraid that they will face bias.

Plausibly, solutions to our trust deficits will come if we all see ourselves as central to addressing social problems rather than rely on government to address all our concerns. This was emphasised by panelists who discussed the report – Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede (Vice Chair Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation), Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya (Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University), Amaechi Okobi (Chief Communication and Brand Officer, Access Holdings) and Kwame Senou (Executive Director, The Holding Opinion Public).

However, the government and stakeholders must create environment for addressing grievances. Businesses must also act in line with the terms of their licenses and in collaboration. Trust is irreducible because attaining a good trust level boost optimism that can overpower grievances. So, as people get more optimistic and trusting, grievances gradually dissipate. This would mean government must deliver results and social good that directly benefit the citizens and in a sustainable manner. As drivers of growth, businesses must provide well-paid jobs and skills for the future. C-Suite executives must strive to prevent grievances from undermining collaboration in workplaces.

Significantly, the media will be expected to act with altruism and utmost social responsibility, prioritising news are rooted public interest, undertaking informed interpretation and commit to evidence-based or data-driven investigative reporting. Indeed, democracy requires journalism of social relevance to be able to flourish but no society and flourishes except its members engage the systems constructively and courageously. In other words, citizens must remain active participants in governance, challenging impropriety rather than being docile.

Edelman is a corporate member of APRA and its annual Trust Barometer, (now in its 25th year), is a leading globally referenced corpus on trust as an irreducible currency of modern leadership. Trust has two constitutive elements, competence and ethics, and since early twentieth century, trust (faith in people and systems), have been on the front burner of public discourse, research and concerns.

However, trust as a key social currency was stamped on the global map of sociological issues since 1999 when an unusually large group of demonstrators assembled at the World Trade Centre (WTO) in Seattle during a major forum of trade ministers to protest deplorable state of human conditions globally. One of the most consequential political protests ever undertaken, otherwise called the Battle of Seattle, activists, unionists and assortment of enthusiasts rallied at WTO office to call attention to workers’ rights, economic, social and environmental concerns.

–Ibietan (PhD) is the Head of Media Relations of Nigerian Communications Commission