After several years of economic instability, Africa’s third largest economy,Nigeria appears to have turned a corner.
Nearly three-quarters of Nigerian executives report that they are feeling optimistic about the business environment, and more than 80% expect to integrate GenAI within the next 24 months.
These are some of the insights from the latest collaborative research conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and partners.
The research forms part of the Nigeria Executive Outlook Survey (end-2025), led by Tolu Oyekan, Managing Director and Partner at BCG Lagos, in collaboration with Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University and The Chartered Institute Of Directors, Nigeria – CIoD Nigeria and compiles insights from 100 business leaders operating in the country.
With a population in excess of 230 million people – a figure which is expected to reach close to 400 million by 2050 – Nigeria represents one of the continent’s most diverse economies and is a key market for commodities, energy and technology amongst others.
Following a challenging reform phase in 2025, the Nigerian government has achieved macroeconomic stability, boosting confidence among investors who are forecasting growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) above 4.4%.
“With growth back on track, executives and business owners are now turning their attention to unlocking the tools and strategic levers required for growth,” explains Oyekan.
The research indicates that there are four strategic imperatives for executives who are looking to embrace this new-found stability.
The first is to plan with optimism and resilience in mind. Confidence is returning but uncertainty lingers – this means that Nigerian executives need to ensure that their plans are flexible enough under stress.
Secondly, they need to invest where capability unlocks value. This means redirecting capital and leadership time toward capability gaps, particularly in data, execution and flexibility. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed cited leadership and talent gaps as the main internal constraint to developing execution capabilities, ultimately preventing organisations from delivering on their strategic priorities and driving successful transformation efforts.
The third strategic imperative relates to Artificial Intelligence (AI) with 83% of leaders expecting to integrate GenAI in 12-24 months. This means moving from exploratory pilot projects to real-world programmes, talent development and responsible development frameworks.
Lastly, organisations will need to build the muscle to execute. This means investing in transformation, execution discipline and cross-functional leadership alignment.
Nigeria is experiencing a moment of cautious optimism. The macro environment is improving, confidence is returning, and leaders are ready to grow again. But growth will not reward mere aspiration.
Oyekan adds: “Two things will separate the winners from the rest of the ecosystem. The first is investing in capabilities and tools to improve outcomes and the second is rigorous execution – the executives who can find this balance will benefit from the upswing in this key African economy.”
