Financial analyst David Olujinmi of SBM Intelligence has said Nigerians increasingly judge quality of life not only by income levels but also by safety, infrastructure, healthcare access, affordability, and government performance within their states.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News while discussing SBM Intelligence’s new quality-of-life perception survey across selected Nigerian states, Olujinmi explained that the report focused on how residents themselves perceive living conditions in their environments.
“It’s a perception index,” he said.
According to Olujinmi, the survey covered states across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, including Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Cross River, Anambra, Kano, Bauchi, and the FCT.
“We ensured that it touched all the geopolitical zones,” he stated.
He explained that Kano emerged strongly in several categories because many residents perceived the state as relatively safe and supportive for families and childcare.
“Kano ranks high in safety,” he said.
According to Olujinmi, respondents in Kano also expressed confidence in healthcare access and child welfare systems.
“They feel safe in their communities,” he stated.
He contrasted this with Cross River State, where many respondents expressed dissatisfaction with affordability, infrastructure, and governance outcomes.
“Cross River is not as affordable as people would like it to be,” he said.
Olujinmi revealed that almost nine out of ten respondents in Cross River indicated willingness to relocate from the state.
“About nine out of ten people want to leave Cross River,” he stated.
According to him, poor road infrastructure and weak public services contributed significantly to residents’ dissatisfaction.
“People complain about the state of roads,” he said.
He specifically referenced concerns about deteriorating road access to major tourism destinations such as Obudu Ranch.
“You can’t even drive there properly,” he stated.
Olujinmi also stated that quality-of-life perception is heavily influenced by how residents experience governance at the state level rather than only federal policies.
“State governments also have a role to play,” he said.
According to him, governors must begin prioritising economic welfare and consumer living conditions within their states.
“The economic welfare of my state is actually my primary responsibility,” he stated while discussing governance priorities.
Olujinmi said that Lagos, despite remaining Nigeria’s commercial hub, faces serious pressures linked to overcrowding and high living costs.
“Lagos is crowded,” he said.
He explained that many low-income earners in Lagos struggle because of the city’s expensive cost of living.
“You can imagine earning below ₦100,000 in Lagos,” he stated.
According to Olujinmi, power supply perceptions also varied significantly across states, with optimism often shaped by whether residents believed governments were making visible efforts to improve electricity access.
“People believe things can get better,” he said while discussing optimism in Oyo State.
He praised state-level electricity reforms enabled by Nigeria’s Electricity Act, arguing that decentralisation could help states improve power generation independently.
“Now states can generate power,” he stated.
Olujinmi further highlighted healthcare access as another major factor shaping quality-of-life perceptions.
“Primary healthcare centres need more attention,” he said.
According to him, Lagos relies heavily on private healthcare providers because public healthcare infrastructure remains overstretched.
“Private healthcare providers take up a bulk of healthcare responsibility in Lagos,” he stated.
Olujinmi maintained that the report should serve as a policy tool for state governments seeking to improve living conditions and public satisfaction.
“These are issues actively affecting people’s lives,” he said.
Olujinmi concluded that quality of life in Nigeria depends on far more than economic statistics, stressing that safety, infrastructure, healthcare, affordability, and effective state governance remain central to how citizens experience everyday life across the country.
Ojo Triumph
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