Three out of four Nigerian youths believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, placing Nigeria among the most pessimistic countries in a 16-nation African survey published this month.
The 2026 African Youth Survey, published by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, also found that while young Nigerians remain deeply concerned about the country’s trajectory, their confidence in Africa’s broader outlook has improved over the past two years.
The survey shows that the share of Nigerian youths who believe the continent is moving in the right direction has tripled, rising from 10% in 2024 to 30% in 2026.
This highlights a growing gap between how young Nigerians perceive national progress and their expectations for Africa’s future.
The survey found that 76% of Nigerian youth believe Nigeria is on the wrong track, with only 22% saying the opposite.
This places the country behind only Mozambique (85%), Chad (80%), and Kenya (80%) in pessimism among the 16 nations surveyed.
However, although Nigeria still remains one of the most pessimistic countries in the survey, the findings also point to a gradual improvement in sentiment among its youth.
The report found that positive perceptions of Nigeria’s direction have risen by 16 percentage points since 2024.
It also found that concern about unemployment among Nigerian youth eased considerably, with employment anxiety falling by 31 percentage points compared with 2024.
“In Nigeria, concern about employment fell by 31 pp. from 2024, while positive sentiment about the country’s direction rose by 16 pp.,” the report noted.
The improving employment outlook coincides with stronger economic performance, with the report noting that “Nigeria, for example, is now growing at a faster rate than at any point since 2015.”
The survey also flagged Nigeria as one of the countries where sentiment about Africa has improved.
“Nigeria records another significant shift, with nearly a third of youth now positive about the continent’s direction (30%), up from just a tenth (10%) in 2024,” the report stated.
More insights
The 16-percentage-point improvement in positive sentiment about Nigeria’s direction since 2024, while encouraging, still leaves the country with one of the most negative youth outlooks on the continent.
The findings reflect a broader concern among young Nigerians over economic opportunities, employment prospects, and the ability to build successful careers within the country.
The search for better opportunities has contributed to rising migration pressures, particularly among skilled professionals.
In 2024, the Deputy Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Victor Kolawole, disclosed that only 58,000 out of 130,000 registered doctors renewed their annual practising licences in 2023, amid a growing exodus of medical professionals seeking opportunities abroad.
Beyond the health sector, the scale of Nigerian migration has continued to expand. The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Nigerians living abroad had reached about 17 million, highlighting the size of the country’s global community.
However, the diaspora has also become an important economic contributor, with Nigerians abroad remitting more than $90 billion over the past five years to support families and contribute to national development.
The 2026 edition of the African Youth Survey surveyed 4,901 people aged 18 to 24 across 16 African countries through face-to-face interviews.
What you should know
The findings align with broader concerns around public sentiment ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election, with economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and governance challenges emerging as key issues shaping voter perceptions.
A separate report by SBM Intelligence found that nearly 80% of Nigerians believe the country is moving in the wrong direction ahead of the election cycle.
The Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker was based on responses from 829 eligible voters across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, covering eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.
