How scoring works
Naija Compass turns your answers into five scores using a simple, fixed formula. Everything is on this page, so you can check any result by hand. It was designed for this tool and has not yet been tested as a research instrument.
1. Each answer is worth −2 to +2 points
| Your answer | Points |
|---|---|
| Strongly agree | +2 |
| Agree | +1 |
| Neutral / not sure | 0 |
| Disagree | −1 |
| Strongly disagree | −2 |
2. Each statement points one way
Every statement belongs to one of five axes, with 6 statements per axis. About half are worded so that agreeing moves you toward the + end of the axis; the rest are worded the other way, so agreeing moves you toward the − end. This stops anyone scoring high just by agreeing with everything.
| Axis | − end | + end |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | State | Market |
| Authority | Libertarian | Authoritarian |
| Society | Progressive | Conservative |
| Federalism | Centralist | Restructurist |
| Voting | Civic | Identity-based |
3. The formula
For each axis, multiply each answer by its direction (+1 or −1), add them up, then scale to −10…+10:
axis score = (sum of answer × direction) ÷ 12 × 10
12 is the highest possible total (6 statements × 2 points). Scores are rounded to one decimal place. All statements count equally.
Worked example: Economy
Suppose you answer the six Economy statements like this:
| Statement | Answer | Points | Direction | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel prices set by the market | Agree | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Naira floats freely | Strongly agree | +2 | +1 | +2 |
| Government runs refineries and power | Disagree | −1 | −1 | +1 |
| Much higher tax on the wealthy | Agree | +1 | −1 | −1 |
| More import bans | Neutral | 0 | −1 | 0 |
| Privatise underperforming state firms | Agree | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Sum | +4 | |||
Economy = 4 ÷ 12 × 10 = +3.3, leaning toward Market.
One strongly held answer moves an axis by up to 1.7 points. Answering “Neutral” to every statement on an axis gives 0.
4. Your label
The label at the top of your result uses only the Economy and Authority scores, the two axes drawn on the compass chart. Society, Federalism and Voting are shown as separate bars and don't change the label.
| Label | Rule |
|---|---|
| Centrist | Economy and Authority both between −2 and +2 |
| Statist Left | Economy below 0, Authority 0 or above |
| Authoritarian Right | Economy 0 or above, Authority 0 or above |
| Libertarian Left | Economy below 0, Authority below 0 |
| Free-market Liberal | Economy 0 or above, Authority below 0 |
Centrist is checked first. The ±2 band is a judgement call, not a research finding.
5. How Insights are calculated
- Only each person's most recent result counts, so retaking the test doesn't give anyone extra weight.
- Figures are simple averages. They are not weighted to match Nigeria's population.
- Any group with fewer than 20 people is hidden, for privacy and because small groups are unreliable.
- People choose to take the test, so Insights describe the people who took part, not all Nigerians.
All 30 statements
+ means agreeing moves you toward the + end of that axis. − means agreeing moves you toward the − end.
Economy (− State · + Market)
- +Fuel prices should be set by the market, not fixed or subsidised by government.
- +The naira should find its own value without CBN controls.
- −Government should own and run refineries and power companies for the people's benefit.
- −Wealthy Nigerians and big companies should pay a much larger share of tax than they do now.
- −Banning imports protects Nigerian farmers and factories and should be used more.
- +Selling underperforming state companies to private investors is good for Nigeria.
- −The minimum wage should rise sharply even if some businesses struggle to pay it.
Authority (− Libertarian · + Authoritarian)
- +Security forces should be allowed to break up street protests that disrupt the economy.
- +Government should be able to arrest people for posts that threaten national unity.
- −Journalists and critics should be free to attack the government without fear of arrest.
- +The president should be able to suspend an elected governor during a state crisis.
- +Strong leadership matters more than democratic process when the country is in danger.
- −Courts should be able to stop government policies they find unconstitutional, even popular ones.
- −Police and the DSS should need a court warrant before detaining a suspect.
Society (− Progressive · + Conservative)
- +Religious values should guide the laws Nigeria makes.
- +The law banning same-sex marriage should stay in place.
- −Some seats in the National Assembly should be reserved for women.
- −Marriage under 18 should be banned everywhere, including under customary or religious law.
- +Traditional rulers should have formal roles in the constitution.
- −Daughters should have equal inheritance rights to sons under every customary law.
Federalism (− Centralist · + Restructurist)
- +Each state should be allowed to set up and control its own police force.
- +States should keep a bigger share of revenue from resources found on their land.
- −A strong central government is the best way to hold Nigeria together.
- +Nigeria should return to a regional system with more autonomy for the regions.
- −Federal revenue should be shared mainly by population and need, not by where it was produced.
- +Groups seeking self-determination should be allowed a peaceful referendum.
Voting (− Civic · + Identity-based)
- +The presidency should rotate between the North and the South.
- −I would vote for a capable candidate of another religion over a weaker one of mine.
- +It matters to me that a leader comes from my region or ethnic group.
- +Appointments should reflect federal character even if better-qualified people are passed over.
Limits you should know about
- Six statements per axis is a small number. Treat scores within a point or two of each other as roughly the same.
- Which axis each statement belongs to is a judgement. Zoning, for example, could reasonably sit under Federalism instead of Voting.
- Not yet statistically validated. We plan to test whether each axis's statements hang together once enough people have taken part, and will update this page with the results.
- Wording matters. A different phrasing of the same issue can produce a different answer.
- It measures views, not party loyalty. We never ask who you support or voted for.
If we change the statements, we'll publish a new question set version so results from different versions aren't mixed. Questions or suggestions about the method? Get in touch through shedfactory.co/contact.