REVEAL
Study Methodology
Key dates
The study was conceived and designed in May 2021.
Preparatory work was concluded on it end of July 2021.
The survey itself was launched in September with the first step of initiating the building of the sample. First set of results are expected in January 2022.
Our main objective
The REVEAL study aims to measure the level of support for an independent Yoruba homeland. It is not a secret that there are some who are vehemently opposed to an independent Yoruba Nation just as there are those who believe that nothing short of independence would be acceptable after the experience of the past 60 years as part of the Nigerian federation. Serious debates have been going on in several quarters inside and outside the southwest territories of Nigeria on the future of the union. There are several stakeholders with keen interest in how the quest for independence pans out.
One of the crucial elements of the debate is the exact level of support for self-determination. In the absence of any form of evidence-based study aimed at addressing the question, stakeholder have been left to speculate based on their biases.
REVEAL aims to provide the answer to this crucial question.
About the methodologies
What you will find on this page are a few highlights of the methodologies that form the basis for this study and the reasoning behind the choices. This is a complex project and a lot of thoughts and work have gone into defining a detailed methodological framework in order to ensure a high level of statistical quality and reliability of outputs. While a sample-based survey can not replace a full population-based referendum, we believe that a carefully planned and executed survey using a robust methodological base goes a long way to providing the needed information.
Should you wish to receive a copy of the full methodology used for this study, please contact us.
Survey population
The survey population was set as all indigenes, of any gender, of any age, of Yorubaland. “of Yorubaland” is defined as anyone who originates from one of the states of the old Western Region wherever such person might currently be living inside or outside Nigeria.
Complexity of the survey population:
While the definition of the survey population noted above might sound straightforward, in practice, it is rather complex. Even if the core units of the population live within the territories and geographical space defined, the diversity of profiles of the people is for statistical purposes very significant. And such diversity would invariably define who is represented in the sample, and how to achieve the highest level of representativeness.
The sampling method
Due to the complexity of the survey population, it is clear that the only way to guarantee that the sample chosen is representative of the population is to adopt probability random sampling (PRS). A deliberate (albeit bold) combination of systematic and stratified with quota systems was used as the survey population sampling method. This enabled an intentional weighting tilt towards the focal strata.
It was necessary to stratify the the sampling because the survey population is anything but homogeneous.
REVEAL Survey Questionnaire
Sample size
The process of selecting the sample is still ongoing. The target is for a sample size of between 4000 and 5000. The sampling technique should ensure a good coverage of all the different groups (including the diaspora).
Survey modality
REVEAL will use a mixture of in-person interviews, by telephone/WhatsApp, and over the internet including social media and chat rooms. Adopting all these options will enable us to adequately cover the different profiles including those in the little towns and villages, those with little or no education as well as those with no social media presence.
The wide range of options will also help us achieve our objective at a reasonable cost. (Yes, cost is a factor!)
