Nigerians gave more money and volunteered more time than any other nationality in 2024, even as household costs rose sharply, according to the Nigeria chapter of the World Giving Report 2025.
Community service and religious giving accounted for most of the activity, the report by the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) and Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) said on Thursday.
Nigerians recorded an average of 13.5 volunteer hours per person in 2024, about 50% above the global average of roughly nine hours, the survey of 101 countries found.
The hours were driven largely by informal, community-based activity rather than formal NGO programmes, it said.
Researchers cited neighborhood clean-ups, mosque and church welfare teams, town union projects, school PTA work, and “esusu” community thrift groups as main channels. Respondents also reported time spent caring for extended family, supporting widows, or assisting neighbors with medical bills and school fees.
“Giving time is seen as part of being a good neighbor,” the Nigeria chapter said. “It is often organized through faith groups, age grades, and community development associations.”
The report linked the hours to Nigeria’s religious and cultural structure. Churches and mosques routinely mobilize members for food drives, hospital visits, funeral support, and repairs to community facilities. Zakat during Ramadan, and tithes and offerings in churches, were cited as regular outflows of both money and time.
Cultural norms of mutual aid also played a role. Volunteering is expected of adults and young people alike, particularly during festivals, elections, or when public infrastructure fails, it said.
On cash donations, Nigeria ranked first worldwide with 89% of adults giving money in 2024, and with the highest share of income donated at an average of 2.83%, the report said.
The combination of cash and time placed Africa ahead of global averages on both measures, with Nigeria contributing most to the continent’s totals.
Despite the data, Nigerians ranked 22nd out of 101 countries when asked to rate how generous they thought they were. The report said community service is often routine and rarely recorded formally, so many respondents did not count it as “volunteering.”
“Generosity is normalized,” the report said. “When helping a neighbor or sweeping a street is expected, people do not label it as charity.”
The findings come during a period of high inflation and rising living costs in Nigeria. APF said economic pressure has not displaced informal safety nets, but in some cases has strengthened them as communities pool resources.
In Lagos, the report cited street and drainage clean-ups by CDAs and landlords’ associations; church and mosque welfare units distributing food and transport support; volunteer teaching in public schools; and free medical outreaches in markets such as Mile 12 and Oshodi.
In Abuja, town unions and youth groups mobilized for erosion control, school renovations, and blood donation drives, while mosque zakat committees and church charity arms coordinated support for IDP camps on the city’s periphery.
While in Port Harcourt and Warri, community development committees ran neighborhood security patrols and waste removal. Church and welfare groups supported patients at UPTH and Braithwaite, while age grades funded scholarships and repairs to primary health centers.
APF/CAF said such activities account for much of Nigeria’s 13.5-hour average, with most hours unrecorded but coordinated through faith and community structures.
The survey covered 101 countries between 2023 and 2024.