The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has said economic hardship, unemployment and rising housing costs are preventing many Nigerian youths from getting married and starting families, despite their strong desire to do so.
Speaking during the 2026 World Population Day commemoration, UNFPA Nigeria Resident Representative, Muriel Mafiko, said findings from a survey conducted by the organisation showed that economic uncertainty, rather than unwillingness, is delaying marriage and childbearing among young Nigerians.
According to her, unemployment, underemployment, rising housing costs, insecurity and unequal access to quality education and healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services, have limited the ability of many young people to plan confidently for their future.
“It is easy for us to assume that younger generations have given up on marriage and children altogether, but our survey tells a different story,” Mafiko said.
She explained that while most respondents identified marriage as their ideal relationship, many remained single because they could not afford stable housing or achieve financial security.
“Our survey tells us that most respondents say their ideal relationship involves marriage, yet among those who want a partner, many are single with economic and housing constraints, the most commonly cited barriers,” she said.
Mafiko added that the survey also found that most young Nigerians still desire children, with two children emerging as the preferred family size across many regions.
“They also want children, and across many regions, two is the ideal family size. While many question whether they will have the ability and the stability to secure housing and to care for them, in short, it is uncertainty, not unwillingness, that has young people question whether they can start the families they want,” she added.
She stressed that governments must create conditions that enable young people to make informed decisions about their future by investing in affordable healthcare, family support systems, parental leave, childcare and policies that expand opportunities.
According to Mafiko, young people need security, stability and access to opportunities to exercise their rights and build the futures they desire.
“With smart, forward-looking, inclusive investments that protect their rights and expand their choices, young people in all their diversities and all their abilities can exercise autonomy over their bodies and lives and build the futures they want,” she said.
She described Nigeria’s youthful population as one of the country’s greatest strengths, noting that empowering young people with education, innovation and opportunities would help drive sustainable development.
Also speaking, Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Aminu Yusuf, said about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 30, making the country’s youth one of its greatest national assets.
According to him, the large youth population presents significant opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, technological advancement, productivity and economic growth.
However, Yusuf cautioned that a youthful population alone does not automatically translate into a demographic dividend, stressing the need for deliberate investments in education, employment, healthcare and skills development to unlock Nigeria’s full development potential.
