African Philanthropy Forum (APF), in partnership with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), has launched the Nigeria chapter of the World Giving Report 2025. This new report highlights Nigeria’s standout performance in global philanthropy, based on a global survey spanning 101 countries. Nigeria emerges as a world leader in charitable giving by several key measures.
Key highlights from the Nigeria findings include:
Highest donation rate: 89% of Nigerians donated money in 2024 – the largest proportion of any country.
Largest income share given: On average, Nigerians gave 2.83% of their income to charity, also ranking #1 globally.
Strong volunteer commitment: Nigerians volunteered about 13.5 hours per person (in 2024), well above the global average of ~9 hours.
These figures underscore Nigeria’s important role in a broader trend of African generosity. In fact, Africa as a continent exceeds global averages on all these fronts – from the percentage of people giving, to the share of income donated, to volunteer time. Nigeria’s contribution is a major part of this continent-wide story of generosity.
Crucially, the report sheds light on why Nigerians give. The culture in Nigeria places a high value on helping others, rooted in religious beliefs, social norms, and strong community and family ties. Acts of giving are often seen as a social or moral obligation. For example, many Nigerians view donating, whether through church, zakat, tithing or community support, as a duty grounded in faith and communal responsibility. This deep-seated expectation of generosity means people give not out of excess wealth, but out of solidarity and necessity to support loved ones.
Interestingly, the report reveals a contrast between Nigerians’ generosity and their self-perception. While Nigeria tops the world in actual giving, Nigerians rank themselves only 22nd out of 101 countries in terms of how generous they believe they are. In other words, despite objectively leading in giving, many Nigerians don’t perceive their generosity as exceptional. The data suggests that charitable giving is so woven into everyday life in Nigeria that people may take their generosity for granted. This humility highlights how giving is “just part of life” for many, driven by social norms rather than a desire for recognition.
The World Giving Report 2025 – Nigeria chapter was developed by APF in partnership with CAF to provide an in-depth look at the state of giving in Nigeria as part of the global World Giving Index study. The findings offer valuable insights for nonprofits, donors, and community leaders looking to build on Nigeria’s strong culture of generosity. By understanding the motivations and patterns of giving in Nigeria, stakeholders can better support and expand these positive trends.
Read the full Nigeria Giving Report 2025 for a detailed analysis of these findings.
For a broader global context, explore the World Giving Index 2025 results on CAF’s website
Together, these resources celebrate Nigeria’s generosity and spark conversation on how to further nurture the spirit of giving in our communities.
