The effects of individual quality of life, neighborhood structural characteristics, and civic engagement on citizens’ trust in the Nigeria police

This study examines the effects of individual quality of life, neighborhood structural characteristics, and civic engagement on citizens’ trust in the Nigerian police using the procedural justice, social disorganization, and social capital theory. The study relies on data from the 2022 Afrobarometer Round 9 survey and an ordinal logistic regression model with cluster-robust standard errors and finds that better housing conditions and the presence of neighborhood resources such as schools and banks are positively associated with trust in the police, while cash income deprivation significantly reduces trust. Civic engagement, however, was not significantly associated with trust in the police, suggesting that participation in civic activities alone may be insufficient to generate trust in the police. These results highlight the importance of addressing economic inequality and improving neighborhood resources to enhance public trust in the police.