Nigeria has been ranked the 7th friendliest country to strangers worldwide, according to the 2025 edition of the UN World Happiness Report. The recognition underscores the country’s strong culture of kindness, generosity, and community support, even in the face of persistent systemic and socio-economic challenges.
The annual report, compiled by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, evaluated 147 countries based on self-reported well-being and prosocial behaviours such as helping strangers, donating, and volunteering.
Despite ranking high for interpersonal goodwill, Nigeria placed 105th in overall happiness, reflecting deeper concerns around life satisfaction, economic hardship, and weak institutional performance.
One of the report’s most telling insights is the stark contrast between personal generosity and public trust. When asked about the likelihood of a lost wallet being returned, Nigerians were more confident it would be returned by a stranger (33rd globally), than by a neighbour (71st) or the police (126th). This trend highlights a lack of confidence in formal institutions, especially law enforcement.
The report noted that this dynamic is common in countries with fragile public systems, where informal kindness often compensates for unreliable structures. Other countries with similar patterns include Jamaica, Liberia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Trinidad.
Nigeria also ranked 45th in charitable donations, suggesting that while formal giving is less common, there is a strong preference for direct, person-to-person support.
“Where institutional structures are weak, helping strangers likely becomes the most direct and effective form of benevolence,” the report observed.
Overall, the findings present a dual narrative—one that celebrates Nigeria’s deeply rooted compassion and solidarity, while calling for strengthened institutions and greater investment in citizens’ long-term well-being.