The Nigerian government has intensified its efforts to fight crime in several ways by enhancing security measures in the country to combat banditry, kidnapping, secessionist activity, and insurgency. To improve intelligence gathering and crime prevention, the government has expanded financing for security services and implemented technologically advanced tactics, including tracking systems and drone monitoring. Initiatives for community policing have also
been supported to strengthen links between security agencies and local communities. Despite these efforts, insecurity remains a concern in the country such as Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, Biafra and Yoruba nation agitations etc.
This report highlights key findings from the CESPS 2024, conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The survey aims to address gaps in governance statistics by interviewing households and individuals to gather essential data for planning and monitoring purposes. This is a baseline survey on crime experience and security perception, reporting for a twelve-month recall period from May 2023 to April 2024.
Crime experience refers to an individual's direct encounters with criminal activities, including being a victim of theft, assault, vandalism, or other illegal acts, which includes any personal involvement in or witnessing of criminal behaviour. In contrast, security perception denotes an individual's subjective evaluation of their safety and the security level in their surroundings. This includes perceptions of risk, fear of crime, trust in law enforcement, and confidence in the
effectiveness of security measures.
The CESPS provides estimates of crime prevalence and incidence, along with the total number of reported cases. In addition, it assesses feelings of safety, perceptions of crime, and satisfaction with the services provided by the police and other security agencies. It also examines various dimensions of crime, including timing, nature, severity of violence, and crime reporting. Therefore, these findings will inform policy and decision making on crime prevention
and public awareness.
