Nigeria’s Strong Trust in Science Below 2018 Level, Welcome Survey Finds

 

By Atlantic Reports

The proportion of Nigerians expressing strong trust in science remains below its 2018 level, despite a modest recovery since 2020, according to findings from the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026.

In Nigeria, 15 per cent of respondents said they trusted science “a lot” in 2025, compared with 13 per cent in 2020 and 26 per cent in 2018.

Overall, 57 per cent reported at least some trust in science in 2025. The distinction matters: the lower figure measures strong confidence, while the broader figure includes people expressing either “some” or “a lot” of trust.

The report draws on responses from more than 140,000 people in 140 countries, with the latest fieldwork conducted in 2025. Wellcome

Nigerian Responses Show Mixed Vaccine Attitudes

The Nigerian findings also revealed differing attitudes towards vaccination.

Thirty-five per cent said they would immediately accept a vaccine recommended by a doctor or nurse, while 36 per cent preferred time to consider it. Another 24 per cent said they did not get vaccines at all.

These responses describe stated attitudes, rather than verified vaccination records. Wanting time to consider a recommendation is also distinct from refusing vaccination.

Global Trust Falls from Pandemic Peak

Across the countries surveyed in all three waves, the proportion expressing at least some trust in science fell from 80 per cent in 2020 to 72 per cent in 2025. It stood at 77 per cent in 2018.

Wellcome cautions that the comparison covers 108 countries and is affected by a change in survey methods in China. Excluding China produces a more stable picture between 2018 and 2025, although strong trust still declined from 2020 with or without China included. Wellcome

The findings therefore require care when interpreting the extent of the longer-term global decline.

Financial Hardship and Regional Differences

The report found the steepest declines among people who felt they were struggling financially.

In 2025, 39 per cent of respondents who described themselves as living comfortably expressed “a lot” of trust in science, compared with 20 per cent among those finding it difficult to get by.

Trust was also associated with confidence in public institutions and access to healthcare and education. These associations do not establish that any single factor caused attitudes to change.

Across Africa, strong trust fell from 28 per cent in 2018 to 21 per cent in 2025. Over the same period, the proportion reporting “not much” trust rose from 16 to 21 per cent, while those expressing no trust increased from five to nine per cent.

Western and Southern Europe retained trust levels above those recorded in 2018, while Northern Europe broadly returned to its pre-pandemic position.

Trust Must Be Earned

Wellcome Chief Executive John-Arne Røttingen said scientific advances could improve lives only if people trusted their purpose and benefits.

“Trust must be earned through openness, transparency and a willingness to understand and respond to the reality of people’s lives,” he said.

For Nigeria, the findings present a mixed picture: strong confidence has improved slightly since 2020, but remains substantially below 2018. Understanding those attitudes will require attention to people’s experiences of healthcare, institutions and whether scientific progress delivers benefits they can see.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.