By Sodiq Adelakun

For many young Nigerians, love is no longer the hardest part of marriage. Survival is. Across the country, rising living costs, stagnant wages and an unforgiving economy are forcing young couples to postpone wedding plans indefinitely, even when emotional readiness is no longer in doubt.

What was once a personal decision shaped by love, culture and timing has increasingly become an economic calculation driven by rent, transport fares and salaries that barely stretch to month-end.

From Lagos to Ibadan, Abuja to Benin, young people say the dream of settling down is colliding with the harsh realities of daily living.

At 29, Azeez Sulaimon, a logistics officer in Lagos, thought he would be married by now. He has been in a committed relationship for four years, but marriage feels further away than ever.

In an interview with our correspondent, he said: “My rent jumped from ₦650,000 to ₦1.1 million in two years. My salary didn’t double. It didn’t even increase significantly. How do you marry when you are still struggling to house yourself?”

Azeez earns ₦170,000 monthly, most of which goes into rent savings, feeding and transportation.

“I spend almost ₦3,000 daily on transport. By the time you add food, data and electricity, nothing is left. Marriage comes with responsibilities, and I don’t want to start it already drowning,” he added.

Rising rent pushing marriage plans further away

Housing costs have become one of the biggest obstacles for young Nigerians hoping to start families. In major cities, annual rent for a modest one-bedroom apartment now consumes several years’ worth of savings.

Blessing Okafor, 27, a fashion designer in Command, Lagos, said she and her fiancé agreed to pause wedding plans after searching unsuccessfully for affordable accommodation.

She said: “We saw a self-contained room going for ₦900,000. No parking space, no water, nothing. How do you pay that and still plan a wedding?”

Blessing earns irregular income, depending on customer demand.

“Some months are good, some months are terrible. Marriage needs stability. Right now, everything feels uncertain,” she said.

Beyond rent, transportation has become another silent marriage killer. The removal of fuel subsidy and rising transport fares have drastically reduced disposable income for young workers.

Samuel Adeyemi, 31, a private school teacher in Ogun State, earns ₦75,000 monthly. He said transportation alone takes nearly a third of his salary.

He explained: “I spend about ₦25,000 monthly just to get to work. When you calculate feeding, supporting family and emergencies, marriage becomes unrealistic.”

Samuel got engaged in 2023, but the wedding date keeps shifting.

“My fiancée understands, but it’s painful. You don’t want to keep someone waiting forever because the economy refuses to cooperate, Marriage is not just the wedding, it’s the life after”
he added.

For many young women, the concern is not just about weddings, but the quality of life after marriage.

Hauwa Mohammed, 26, a graduate currently doing her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja, said she is in no hurry to marry, despite family pressure.

“I earn ₦77,000 allowance. Transport alone can finish it in two weeks. If I marry now, will I stop eating? Marriage is not just the wedding, it’s the life after.”she said.

Hauwa said she wants financial independence before considering marriage.

Many young professionals argue that stagnant wages are at the heart of delayed marriages.

Tunde Akinwale, 34, a media professional in Lagos, earns ₦200,000 monthly, a figure he once considered comfortable.

“Five years ago, this salary meant something. Now, inflation has eaten everything,”he said.

He said between rent, transport, supporting extended family and basic living costs, saving for marriage feels impossible.

“I want to marry, but I don’t want to start married life already stressed and borrowing,” he said.

Dr. Funke Alabi, a Lagos-based social researcher, said delayed marriage is becoming a rational response to economic instability.

She added that prolonged delays could have broader social implications, including changing family structures and declining birth rates.

Despite the challenges, most young people interviewed said they still believe in marriage — just not under economic strain.

For now, love remains on hold for many Nigerian youths, trapped between affection and affordability, commitment and cost.