Is the Decline of Nigeria’s Nightlife a Blessing in Disguise?

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NigeriaOctober/November 2025
Nightlife

Photo illustration by Michael Emono / THE REPUBLIC. Source Ref: Nosa Asemota/ Wikipedia.

THE MINISTRY OF business x the economy

Is the Decline of Nigeria’s Nightlife a Blessing in Disguise?

Tinubu’s economic reforms have had an unintended consequence: the collapse of Nigeria’s once-vibrant nightlife. In its wake, a surprising twist has emerged. Young Nigerians are channelling their frustrations from dance floors to the democratic arena.
Nightlife

Photo illustration by Michael Emono / THE REPUBLIC. Source Ref: Nosa Asemota/ Wikipedia.

THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS X THE ECONOMY

Is the Decline of Nigeria’s Nightlife a Blessing in Disguise?

Tinubu’s economic reforms have had an unintended consequence: the collapse of Nigeria’s once-vibrant nightlife. In its wake, a surprising twist has emerged. Young Nigerians are channelling their frustrations from dance floors to the democratic arena.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu campaigned under the slogan of ‘Renewed Hope’. Yet, the manner of his emergence as president in 2023, and subsequent economic policies implemented by his administration, have created a prevalent sense of hopelessness, Tinubu’s inauguration on 29 May 2023 came with a major economic shake up, following the announcement of the removal of subsidies on premium motor spirit. Less than a month later, the government unified exchange rates by disbanding the two-tier valuation system and creating a single, transparent market rate—finally allowing the naira to find its realistic value.

The decision to remove the fuel subsidy was driven by its unsustainable fiscal cost. Its removal was intended to free up fiscal resources and allow government to reallocate funds to welfare and infrastructure projects. In 2022, the government spent over 2.2 per cent of the nation’s GDP (around $10 billion) on the subsidy, an amount that exceeded critical sectoral budgets like defence and security at ₦2.41 trillion ($5.69 billion), infrastructure at ₦1.45 trillion ($3.42 billion), education at ₦1.29 trillion ($ 3.05 billion) and health at ₦820 billion ($3.05 billion). The burden only intensified in 2023, with ₦3.36 trillion expended on subsidy in the first five months before it was abolished. On the other hand, the exchange rate unification was aimed at encouraging foreign investments and further liberalizing the economy. 

Despite the necessity of these policies, as some have argued, and their potential to improve the country’s economy, they have also negatively affected the lives of average Nigerians. Transportation and logistics were the immediate casualties, with the cost of transporting people and goods skyrocketing in the wake of the president’s inauguration speech. The dire nature of the situation is evident in the ‘nearly 20 to 100 per cent’ price hike across all means of transportation due to fuel price increases. Furthermore, in an alarming snowball effect, record-high inflation rates have followed, causing prices of food, household items, technology, machinery and pharmaceuticals to soar. A review of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies based on his manifesto conducted by a youth-led civic tech organization, AdvoKC Foundation, revealed that due to inflation, which peaked at 42.25 per cent in December 2024, Nigerians spent over 65 per cent of their income on food. 

The AdvoKC report, citing the National Bureau of Statistics, reflects the dire nature of the economy, revealing that the nation’s GDP stagnated by 2.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. The absence of jobs is particularly telling on the nation’s youth population, as evidenced by the discontent in posts across various social media platforms and youth-led anti-government protests they birthed. In Q2 2024, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15-24 rose to 8.6 per cent from 7.2 per cent. Within this hostile economic environment, disposable income has increasingly dwindled, along with Nigeria’s nightlife.

NIGHTLIFE BEFORE TINUBU’S DAWN

Before 2023, major Nigerian cities like Lagos and Abuja boasted a healthy nightlife that served the needs of a young and vibrant generation. Lagos is popularly considered the entertainment capital of Africa, and true to this moniker, the state is home to several of the nation’s top entertainment venues and events. However, Lagos’s world-famous nightlife has been hit hard by the new economic reforms, with an observer noting that the reforms have ‘sapped the energy from Lagos’s party spots’.

Nightlife in the nation’s capital, Abuja, has also been significantly affected by these reforms. Clubs and night-time businesses within the city have complained of low patronage. Views from stakeholders within the industry confirm this. Feyi Ogunbowale, a lounge owner in Kubwa, lamented the impact of the economy on his business despite the near two years since the economic policies were implemented, stating, ‘People don’t have it as clear as they used to have it before, so they don’t spend as they used to do before. Business hasn’t been smooth at all, at all.’ Similarly, Tobechukwu Andy, a frequent purveyor of the Gwarimpa night scene, supported the above sentiments as he added, ‘Nobody de do Dorime (A slang term for the purchase of expensive drinks to flaunt in a club) again for this Tinubu economy.’ This shortfall in customers is surprising because Abuja is often considered the nation’s money seat due to its proximity to power and the relative opulence. This opulence is reflected in the capital’s nightlife, particularly in neighbourhoods like Maitama and Wuse, although these areas have recorded reduced patronage.  

This situation is lamentable because, as Eneyo et al.’s 2021 study, ‘Economic Impacts of Curfew Imposition on the Nightclub Industry in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria’, argues, despite their negative perception from moralistic standpoints, nighttime activities and businesses have tremendous economic influence, affecting key metrics such as employment, revenue generation among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and tourism. Nighttime activities and businesses are also strong avenues for social cohesion and community building, as revelry is a potent unifying factor, especially in a deeply fragmented climate like Nigeria. What better way to unite people than night lights, loud catchy tunes and bumping into carefree, sweaty bodies? Such environments are key to forming and preserving strong bonds amongst people, particularly the outgoing types.

A vibrant nightlife scene and its accompanying benefits no longer exists or are increasingly becoming an anomaly rather than the norm. Nigerians are no longer carefree. The freedom, especially financial, which allowed a vast majority to visit clubs while building bridges over catchy tunes and moderately expensive drinks, is virtually non-existent. Due to the economic crisis, perhaps the worst in recent history, Nigerians are increasingly prioritizing survival ahead of luxuries like clubbing.  

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THE SHIFT FROM NIGHTLIFE TO POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

In these dark times, a silver lining is emerging. Young Nigerians are embracing political consciousness. In seeking respite from their collective financial woes, Nigerians have channelled their political will into activities like grassroots mobilization, digital activism, and, ultimately, protests expressing their displeasure with the economic hardship.

These efforts came to the fore in the form of the August 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests, which, like its predecessors, #RevolutionNow and #EndSARS protests, began on social media. Massive social media engagement and discourse surrounding the Tinubu administration’s policies eventually led to ten days of sporadic nationwide protests. These protests moved the online agitation of Nigerians to the streets, proving once again that social media remains a crucial vehicle for democratic engagement. 

The #EndBadGovernance protests were particularly critical of the government’s new economic policies, especially their abrupt implementation without effective measures to cushion the financial impact. Although the protests did not successfully influence the government’s stance on most of the contended policies, they offered important insight into the prevailing public mood and the broader implications of these policies for Nigeria’s democratic landscape.  

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THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIC LANDSCAPE

The broader implications of recent economic policies—and their attendant impact on the decline of nightlife—are bound to have major consequence for the country’s democratic landscape. As more of Nigeria’s vast youthful population come to terms with policies that restrict access to previously enjoyed luxuries, a reaction aimed at restoring a semblance of normalcy to their lives seems inevitable. These dynamics were evident in the 2023 general elections, which the country’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), described as the ‘youthful election’. Young Nigerians participated actively, rallying largely behind Peter Obi and the ‘Obidient’ movement, as they felt he represented a welcome departure from the corrupt political status quo. 

The heavy youth involvement in the election arose against the backdrop of widespread discontent with late President Buhari’s administration, marked by growing economic difficulties, government indifference, anti-people policies and endemic corruption throughout his tenure. The high youth turnout in the 2023 general elections signifies a gradual shift in Nigeria’s political culture. According to INEC, an overwhelming 76 per cent of the 93.4 million registered voters—amounting to 71 million people—were youth between the ages of 18 and 34, a significant increase from the 51 per cent recorded in 2019. Young Nigerians are beginning to realize that their discontent with governance must be channelled beyond digital activism and street protests. 

While the government’s violent response to protests, most notably the #EndSARS tragedy, created a legitimate fear that political repression would diminish youth engagement, the opposite has occurred. Instead of extinguishing zeal, these actions appear to have catalysed a more strategic and resilient form of participation. As Temitope Omotayo’s 2025 study, ‘The Nigerian Political System: Youth Political Participation and The End SARS Protests’, suggests, this period served as a ‘turning point’, channelling energy away from potentially vulnerable street demonstrations and into sustained, structured movements. Evidence of this sustained engagement is clear: 85.5 per cent of the study’s participants had joined civil society organizations, and 50 per cent participated in anti-government protests as recently as 2025. This shift demonstrates that political involvement has not faded but has evolved into a more organized and persistent force within Nigeria’s democracy.  

The immediate impact of this nascent political consciousness is in its potential to promote more accountable governance from Nigeria’s gerontocrats, who must now be cautious of the youth’s influence on their political futures. However, in the long term, this political consciousness should lead to a growing number of youths actively participating in securing political positions and addressing the needs of a generation eager for significant political change. 

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CO-EXISTING ON THE DANCE FLOOR AND THE PROTEST GROUNDS

Tinubu administration’s economic playbook since May 2023 has inadvertently engineered a significant social shift. While the intended goal was macroeconomic stabilization, the severe strain on Nigerians’ standard of living has crippled the nightlife industry, a vital sector for employment, SME revenue and social cohesion. However, to view this decline merely as an economic loss is to overlook a more profound transformation. The fading lights of Nigeria’s nightclubs have illuminated a new path for youth engagement, forcing a critical question: is this a direct correlation or a poignant symptom of a broader societal crisis?  

The evidence suggests that the relationship is not one of simple substitution but of a catalyst. Economic hardship, exemplified by the inability to partake in social luxuries like clubbing, has sharpened young Nigerians’ focus on the root causes of their deprivation. This shift has not diminished their desire for community and release but has channelled it into the political arena. The energy once spent on revelry is now being invested in grassroots mobilization and digital activism, as seen in the #EndBadGovernance protests and sustained political discourse. The key takeaway is not that fun has been replaced by politics, but that a generation is applying its collective force to the systems that dictate their quality of life.

Ultimately, the choice between a teeming nightlife and vibrant political engagement is a false dichotomy. A truly healthy society should be able to sustain both. The decline of nightlife is not the cause of political awakening but a stark indicator of an economy failing its youth. The Tinubu administration’s mitigation efforts, such as the introduction of CNG buses and cash grants, are merely palliative. Lasting solutions require governance that fosters an environment where young people can thrive both economically and civically. 

The quiet closing of nightclubs may be the prelude to a much louder, more sustained demand for accountable governance. Nigeria’s political awakening is not happening on the dance floor, but the frustration born from its silence now echoes powerfully through the halls of power⎈

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