Nigeria’s young people rank among world’s most optimistic, study reveals
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Nigeria has emerged as one of the countries with the most optimistic young people globally, ranking seventh out of 41 countries surveyed in a new international study examining Gen Z’s confidence in the future.
The study, conducted by Oxford Scholastica Academy, placed Nigeria second in West Africa behind Kenya in the overall global ranking, with Nigerian students recording an optimism score of 4.08 out of five.
Kenya ranked second globally with 4.31, while Sri Lanka topped the ranking with 4.32. Nepal came third with 4.24, followed by Kazakhstan with 4.17.
The findings were based on responses from 1,433 students across 100 countries, although only 41 countries had sufficient responses to qualify for the rankings.
The survey measured young people’s optimism across five areas: personal prospects, economic opportunities, the environment, politics and the future of society.
Nigeria’s performance was particularly notable in environmental optimism, where students scored 3.92 out of five. They also recorded 4.43 for personal optimism, 4.18 for economic prospects, 3.69 for political optimism and 4.16 for confidence in the future of society.
The figures suggest that Nigerian young people remain hopeful about their individual prospects and the broader direction of society, despite economic and environmental challenges.
Kenya, which ranked second globally, recorded the highest political optimism among the countries surveyed, scoring 3.96, while its students also expressed strong confidence in the future of society, with a score of 4.43.
Among other African countries, Rwanda ranked 40th with an overall score of 3.20, while Ghana placed 32nd with 3.63.
At the bottom of the global ranking was Kuwait, where young people recorded an overall optimism score of 2.92. Rwanda and Turkey followed among the countries with the lowest levels of optimism.
The study also identified a significant gap between young people’s confidence in their personal futures and their expectations about politics.
Globally, students recorded an average personal optimism score of 4.40 out of five, making it the strongest category, while political optimism was the weakest at 3.29.
The United Kingdom ranked 33rd with an overall score of 3.61, recording 3.04 for political optimism and 3.06 for environmental optimism.
Commenting on the findings, Lavinia Abell, Co-Director of Oxford Scholastica Academy, said young people had several reasons to feel anxious about the future, including artificial intelligence, wars and rising living costs.
She noted that such uncertainties could be particularly concerning for young people preparing to enter the workforce.
“In every aspect of society, there are things to be anxious and pessimistic about. This could be the rise in AI, war, the cost-of-living increasing and much more,” Abell said.
“What this study highlights is the attitudes of each nationality towards these uncertainties,” she added.
Oxford Scholastica Academy said the survey asked students to rate their optimism across the five categories on a scale of one to five, with overall scores calculated as the average of the responses.
Countries were ranked based on a minimum of five student respondents, with the findings covering 41 countries from the wider dataset of 100 countries.
The results offer an insight into how young people across different societies perceive their personal prospects and the economic, political and environmental conditions shaping their future.