A new survey of young Nigerians has laid bare the choices facing a generation caught between ambition and a cost of living that keeps climbing. BusinessDay June 2026 Gen Z Pick poll asked respondents about income, savings, the “soft life” trend and the pull of relocation abroad, known locally as japa. The answers show a group that works hard, saves where it can, and still wonders whether Nigeria can offer what it wants to build.
Income and the hustle
Just over six in ten respondents (61.6%) report a steady job or salary. More than a quarter (27.8%) have no income at present, while 11.1% combine formal work with a side hustle. Notably, none of the respondents said they rely on side hustles alone.
Among those running a side hustle, half say they have none at all, but of those who do, 33.3% describe it as a route to independence, and 16.7% say their main job simply does not pay enough. Nobody selected funding a japa plan as their main driver.
Read also: Nigerian fashion’s viral moment: the world is watching, the money isn’t— poll
The soft life debate
The “soft life” narrative, which celebrates ease and comfort online, splits opinion. Almost four in ten (38.9%) call it out of touch with reality. A third (33.3%) say it motivates them to aim higher, while 22.2% tune it out completely, and 5.6% say it feeds financial anxiety.
Savings under pressure
Saving habits over the past six months tell a mixed story. Equal shares of respondents, 27.8% each, say they save consistently and hit their goals, save sometimes but often fall short, or draw from savings to survive. A further 16.7% say nothing is left to save once expenses are paid.
To leave or to build
On relocation, half of respondents (50%) say they are open to leaving but not yet ready. A third (33.3%) would rather build their future in Nigeria, and 16.7% are actively planning an exit. None reported having already relocated.
One respondent put the choice in personal terms: “In the next three years, if I’m still in Nigeria, I plan to launch my own company. And if I already Japa, the Japa will be to go and add to the knowledge, make money, and come back home to start something.”
What success looks like
Asked to define financial success over the next three years, answers ranged from figures to feelings. One respondent set a target: “having an investment portfolio that can consistently deliver a monthly return of between 500,000 to 1,000,000.” Another aimed higher still: “Achieving 500 million in year on year revenue for my business by this time in 2029.”
Others measured success by relief rather than growth. “Financial success for me would look like me not having to worry about the basics of life but having financial security,” one wrote. Another said: “Financial success is me not having to think twice before buying nice things that are not expensive. Also not having to be on survival mode.”
Inflation featured heavily among the obstacles named. One respondent was blunt: “To me, financial success in the next 3 years will be at zero %. It can only be achieved when there’s an inflation reduction.”
Mindset versus macroeconomics
When asked how far personal choices shape financial outcomes against Nigeria’s wider economic conditions, most respondents pointed to a combination of the two. “My daily choices and mindset positively influence my finances,” one said, adding that saving and investing matter more than income alone.
Others were less convinced that mindset can overcome structural barriers. “Nigerian economic challenge plays a rudimental factor to the thinking faculty of Nigerians in Nigeria,” one respondent wrote, arguing that access to opportunity and mentorship matter as much as attitude.
One answer summed up the daily grind behind the numbers: “Every choice I make down to the quality of food I eat affects my financial outcome.”
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