By Chinedu Okafor, Business Correspondent
Lagos, Nigeria — February 3, 2026 — Nigerian business leaders are stepping into 2026 with a surge of confidence, as revealed by PwC’s 29th Annual Global CEO Survey (Nigerian Perspective). The report highlights a remarkable shift in sentiment, with 91% of Nigerian CEOs expecting the economy to improve this year, compared to 64% in 2025.
At the organizational level, optimism is equally strong: 56% of CEOs express high confidence in revenue growth over the next 12 months, nearly double the global average of 30%.
Shifting Risk Landscape
While macroeconomic pressures such as inflation and volatility have eased, Nigerian CEOs are now grappling with firm-level risks. Cybersecurity and talent availability top the list of concerns, each cited by 38% of respondents. Technological disruption is also gaining attention, with 25% of CEOs acknowledging its growing impact on operations.
Tariffs have emerged as a new area of worry, with 22% of Nigerian CEOs concerned about global trade policy shifts and domestic tax reforms.
Sam Abu, Regional Senior Partner at PwC West Market Area, noted:
“Nigeria’s improved macroeconomic stability has increased CEO confidence, even as leaders remain alert to cybersecurity risks, rising talent pressures, and technological disruption. Against this backdrop, CEOs are sharpening their focus on reinvention; accelerating technology adoption, and building the capabilities needed to turn today’s stability into sustainable long‑term growth.”
Reinvention and Growth Priorities
The survey identifies four key areas driving CEO action in Nigeria:
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Strategic reinvention: Nearly half of CEOs (47%) have expanded into new sectors in the past five years, with technology, power, and telecommunications leading the way.
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AI adoption: While 25% of CEOs are applying AI in customer-facing activities, only 9% have integrated it into strategic decision-making.
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Cybersecurity and trust: With 75% planning to strengthen enterprise-wide cybersecurity in the next three years, trust and transparency are becoming central to leadership.
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Sustainability and ESG: Talent availability, social inequality, and climate-related risks are increasingly shaping business strategies, with climate considerations now embedded in supply chain and capital allocation decisions.
Looking Ahead
As Nigerian CEOs embrace reinvention, the report underscores that resilience and disciplined investment will define success in 2026. Abu cautioned:
“In periods of rapid change, the instinct to slow down is understandable, but it is also risky. The companies that win in 2026 will be those that make disciplined, deliberate decisions about where to invest and how to build resilience.”