A landmark survey by PwC Nigeria has revealed a surge in business optimism, with 91 percent of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) expressing confidence that the Nigerian economy will improve over the next 12 months. Released on February 2, 2026, during an executive roundtable in Lagos, the findings from the 29th Annual Global CEO Survey show a massive leap from the 64 percent optimism recorded in 2025.
This “bullish” outlook is anchored on stabilizing macroeconomic fundamentals, including easing inflation, which has cooled to 14.45 percent, and a stabilized Naira trading around ₦1,400 to the dollar.
The survey highlights that Nigerian leaders are significantly more confident than their global peers. While only 30 percent of CEOs worldwide feel “very or extremely confident” in their organization’s revenue growth for 2026, 56 percent of Nigerian CEOs hold this high level of certainty.
Sam Abu, Country Senior Partner at PwC Nigeria, noted that while disciplined monetary and foreign-exchange reforms have provided a “solid ground,” the focus must now shift from stability to sustainable productivity. He described the current state as a “telescope for long-term opportunities,” particularly in strategic reinvention and digital expansion.
Despite the overarching positivity, the report identifies emerging “firm-level” risks that are keeping executives on high alert. Concern over cybersecurity has spiked, with 38 percent of CEOs reporting extreme exposure to cyber threats, up from 25 percent in 2023.
Additionally, as digital tools become core to operations, 25 percent of leaders cited technological disruption as a top priority. The survey also revealed a divide in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI); while viewed as a board-level priority, only 30 percent of companies have successfully converted AI pilots into tangible revenue gains or cost efficiencies.
The roundtable, themed “The Executive Playbook for Growth, Resilience, and Efficiency,” concluded that the 2026 fiscal year will be a test of how well businesses can translate macroeconomic stability into real-world expansion.
With Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves climbing above $45 billion, the private sector is being urged to move beyond cautious planning and make “selective investment bets” in high-growth sectors like energy and services to capitalize on the improving business climate.
 expressing confidence that the Nigerian economy will improve over the next 12 months. Released on February 2, 2026, during an executive roundtable in Lagos, the findings from the 29th Annual Global CEO Survey show a massive leap from the 64 percent optimism recorded in 2025.){kind=link}