What Nigerians want from the 2027 elections

Every election cycle is really a conversation about priorities. Ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections, the same handful of issues keep rising to the top of voters' minds — and understanding them is the first step to understanding how the country might vote.

At NaijaElects we ask every respondent a simple question alongside their voting intention: what is the single most important issue to you right now? The pattern that emerges is remarkably consistent across states, age groups and party preferences. Below we break down the issues Nigerians tell us matter most, and why each one carries so much weight going into 2027.

1. The economy and the cost of living

No issue dominates the national conversation quite like the economy. Years of naira depreciation, the removal of the fuel subsidy, and stubbornly high food prices have pushed household budgets to breaking point. When voters talk about "the economy," they usually mean something very concrete: the price of a bag of rice, transport fares, rent, and whether their income stretches to the end of the month.

For most respondents, the cost of living is not an abstract statistic — it is the daily test by which they judge whether the country is heading in the right direction. Candidates who can speak credibly about bringing prices under control and stabilising the currency tend to resonate most strongly.

2. Insecurity

Security consistently ranks among the top two or three concerns nationwide, though its shape differs by region. In the North East and North West, banditry, kidnapping and insurgency dominate. In parts of the Middle Belt, farmer–herder conflict remains the sharpest concern. In the South, kidnapping for ransom and violent crime feature heavily.

What unites these very different experiences is a shared demand: Nigerians want to feel safe travelling, farming, and going about daily life. Security is often the issue that most directly shapes turnout, because voters in the worst-affected areas may find it physically difficult to reach polling units.

3. Jobs and unemployment

Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world, and youth unemployment is a defining anxiety for millions. For voters aged 18–34 — the single largest bloc on our platform — the availability of decent, dignified work often outranks every other concern. This group is also the most likely to consider emigration, a trend widely known as "japa."

Job creation ties directly back to the economy, but voters tend to treat it as its own distinct demand: they want to see a clear plan for how a candidate will help young Nigerians find work at home.

4. Power supply

Reliable electricity remains one of the most tangible measures of governance for ordinary Nigerians and businesses alike. The cost of running generators eats into the margins of small traders, manufacturers and households. Improvements — or failures — in power supply are felt immediately and personally, which is why the issue punches above its weight in every poll.

5. Corruption and governance

Underlying many other concerns is a persistent demand for accountable, transparent governance. Voters frequently connect the state of the economy, insecurity and infrastructure back to how public money is managed. Trust — or the lack of it — in public institutions shapes not only who people vote for, but whether they choose to vote at all.

How priorities differ across Nigeria

While the national top five is stable, the ordering shifts depending on who you ask:

• Younger voters tend to elevate jobs and the cost of living.
• Rural and northern respondents more often place security first.
• Urban southern voters frequently emphasise power supply and the economy.

These nuances matter. A candidate's message can land very differently in Kano than in Lagos or Enugu, and the parties that understand these regional priorities are usually the ones that campaign most effectively.

Elections are won and lost on whether candidates can convince voters they understand the problems that dominate everyday life.

See the live picture

The issue rankings above are drawn from the ongoing, anonymous responses of Nigerians using NaijaElects. Because the poll is live, the numbers shift as more people take part — which means the best way to understand what Nigerians want is to look at the data yourself, and to add your own voice.