Nigeria’s premier polling agency, NOI/Gallup Polls has revealed that seven out of 10 people polled believe that the government is ill equipped to handle an outbreak of swine flu within the country should such arise.
Numerous cases of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) had been reported around the world, including the United Kingdom. With constant traffic between the UK and Nigeria and the absence of border checks for the virus, concerns are high over Nigeria’s preparedness to deal with an outbreak of the virus.
The results of the poll revealed that at least one in three (30 percent) people polled were unaware of the existence of the H1N1 virus. 68 percent of the respondents however, said they had some knowledge of the virus.
On Nigeria’s ability to deal with an outbreak, 70 percent of the respondents who had some knowledge of the virus, said they do not believe Nigeria was prepared to deal with an outbreak of swine flu.
Only 18 percent of those who responded to this question believed in Nigeria’s capability to adequately respond to an outbreak of the virus.
According to the CEO, NOI Polls, Mr. Ndubuisi Anyanwu, “this survey is part of the ongoing snap poll exercise conducted by NOI Polls to rapidly assess public sentiments following various social, political or economic events.”
NOI Polls is a Nigeria-based opinion research organization which works in technical partnership with Gallup Poll (USA), to conduct periodic opinion polls on various socio-economic issues in Nigeria.