With all the dating horror stories Nigerians constantly joke about, it’s easy to assume everyone has given up on love. Yet, new relationships are still forming every day, often in the most ordinary ways.
When Zikoko surveyed over 10,000 Nigerians about romantic relationships for their inaugural State of Love report, it found that about 4 in 10 Nigerian daters met their partners through events or friend introductions. In other words, the most common love stories in Nigeria start with a friend at the church or party saying, “I know someone you should meet.”
So why do these familiar places still matter so much?
Not because they are flashy or carefully curated. Familiar spaces remain powerful matchmaking grounds because they come with built-in trust. When someone vouches for you, whether directly or indirectly, the barrier to entry is lower.
Even in 2026, personal networks still play a central role in how relationships begin. But that doesn’t make social media irrelevant. According to the State of Love report’s findings, it ranks third among the most common ways Nigerians form romantic relationships. It is mostly used to strengthen an attraction that has already begun offline.
“I met my boyfriend at a friend’s party, but we only started talking after he sent me a DM three weeks later. The party was just the excuse,” Chiamaka, a 26-year-old content creator in Lagos, explains.
What about dating apps?
For all the noise around them, they are still not a dominant channel for finding love. The report found that only about 1 in 10 Nigerians met a partner through a dating app. While apps like Bumble, Tinder, and Grindr have grown more popular in recent years, especially among young urban Nigerians, they’re rarely the first option. Many respondents still associate them with casual connections rather than long-term commitment.
What else did Zikoko find?
The State of Love’s findings go well beyond how Nigerians are finding love. On marriage, the report found that 4 in 10 married Nigerians say they’ve felt regret at some point, but 6 in 10 are resistant to considering divorce even when things aren’t working. On the economy, 8 in 10 Nigerians say growing financial pressures have affected their love life. On sex, nearly 7 in 10 Nigerians say premarital sex is acceptable. You can access the full report here.
About the State of Love
The State of Love report is a nationwide study by Zikoko exploring how Nigerians experience love. Drawing on responses from over 10,000 Nigerians, the report examines the social, cultural, and economic factors shaping romantic life in Nigeria today. It combines data analysis with real-life stories to paint a vivid picture of modern dating in Nigeria.
About Zikoko
Zikoko is a social magazine providing the best content for enjoyment and sharing. The publication does this by curating and creating funny and incisive, honest and irreverent content around Nigerian youth culture. On the internet since 2018, Zikoko has been committed to putting out quality, culturally relevant entertainment in written, audio, and video formats that is inclusive, relatable, empathetic, and funny, inspiring audiences to live better lives.
