Last updated: 13 October 2026. Survey methods depend on your question and audience. We rewrote this guide to focus on practical steps and Nigerian conditions, and removed unsourced statistics.
A survey is a structured way of asking many people the same questions so you can count the answers. Done well, it replaces guessing with evidence: which product to launch, what price people accept, how customers rate your service, what students or staff think. Online surveys are quick and cheap, but in Nigeria they have limits you should understand.
Why online surveys matter
- Speed. You can reach hundreds of people in days through email, WhatsApp groups and social media.
- Cost. Free and low-cost tools handle questions, collection and basic charts.
- Structured data. Answers arrive in a spreadsheet you can sort and analyse.
- Anonymity. People may answer sensitive questions more honestly when they are not face to face.
- Decision support. Businesses, schools, churches, NGOs and government agencies all use surveys to improve services.
The Nigerian catch: who is missing?
Broadband penetration was about 57.4% in July 2026 according to NCC figures reported in the press, and many rural, older and low-income people are less likely to answer online surveys. That means an online survey describes the people who are online, not necessarily everyone. For a national or rural audience, consider phone calls, in-person interviews or a mix of methods. Professional pollsters such as NOIPolls, the national partner of Afrobarometer, use phone and face-to-face sampling for national studies. See our guides on internet penetration in Nigeria and working with a research agency.
How to run a good survey
- Define the decision. Write what you will do differently depending on the answers. If there is no decision, you do not need the survey.
- Define the audience. Who exactly must answer: customers in Lagos, students at one school, staff in one department? Say how you will reach them.
- Write clear questions. One idea per question, simple words, no leading phrases such as “How much did you enjoy our excellent service?”. Use answer scales consistently, and include “not applicable” where needed.
- Keep it short. Aim for ten questions or fewer, and tell people how long it will take. Put the most important questions first.
- Test it. Ask five people to complete it while you watch, and fix confusing questions.
- Send it through trusted channels, with a clear reason, a deadline and a thank you. Send a reminder, and consider a small thank-you incentive. Do not pay people to give particular answers.
- Analyse and act. Check how many answered and who they were. Report counts and percentages, read open answers for themes and tell respondents what you did with their views.
Question types
- Multiple choice: easy to count. Include “other” where you may have missed an option.
- Rating scales: useful for satisfaction, for example from 1 to 5.
- Ranking: shows priorities, but gets tiring with long lists.
- Open questions: give rich detail, but are harder to analyse, so use them sparingly.
Protect people’s data
If your survey collects names, phone numbers, locations or other personal information, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 applies. Tell people who you are, why you are collecting data and how it will be used, ask for consent, collect only what you need, store it securely and delete it when you no longer need it. Do not share identifiable answers without permission. See our guide on data privacy.
Common mistakes
- Asking leading or double-barrelled questions.
- Surveying only your friends and calling it “the market”.
- Making the survey too long.
- Ignoring the results because they were not what you hoped.
- Falling for fake survey schemes that promise payment. Genuine research does not ask for fees, card details or OTPs. See our guide on internet scams.
Using surveys in business and study
Entrepreneurs can survey potential customers before launch and existing ones afterwards. See our guides on entrepreneurship mistakes and market research companies in Nigeria. Students and researchers should get ethical approval where required and explain their sampling in their reports.
Writing Better Survey Questions
- Ask one thing at a time, and avoid leading words.
- Offer balanced answer choices, including “not sure”.
- Keep it short, and test it with a few people first.
Reaching Respondents
Share your survey through WhatsApp groups, community pages and email lists, and make it easy to complete on a phone with limited data. Explain how you will use the answers, and protect people’s privacy. See data privacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many responses do I need?
It depends on how precise you need to be and how varied your audience is. For informal decisions, dozens may be useful. For national claims, you need a properly designed sample.
What is a good survey tool?
Many free and paid tools exist. Choose one that works well on phones, exports data and lets you control privacy.
Can I pay people to answer?
You can offer a small thank-you, but do not influence what they say.
Are online surveys reliable?
They are reliable for people who are online and respond, but they may not represent everyone. State their limits honestly.
Sources
Join the discussion
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