Young legitimate people between 25 and 35 in Nigeria are not against marriage in the real sense of it. Most still want it. They are just scared of what it costs right now. Money, peace of mind, and the risk of building something that collapses under pressure. Money comes up first. Rent in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt is brutal. A place that used to go for 400–500k can now cost 800k to over a million, before furniture or generator. Food and transport keep rising. Someone earning 150k to 300k already feels stretched. Marriage means housing two people (and later children) under one roof, plus the expectation that the man carries the bigger share. Many look at their balance after rent and transport and say “not yet.” They have watched relatives struggle and get disrespected at home over money. They do not want the same life. Weddings make it worse. A “normal” wedding families will accept now easily runs into several millions once you add traditional lists, aso-ebi, hall, catering and photography. Some bride lists alone are frightening. People borrow heavily or sell land just to meet expectations, then start marriage life in debt. Couples who need each other still postpone because they do not want the first years spent paying loans. Social media has turned the celebration into a competition that can leave you broke. Housing is its own problem. You can have a solid relationship and still not marry if you cannot find a place both of you can afford without one person living with parents forever. Culture adds weight. Marriage is rarely just between two people. In-laws come with expectations. The man is still expected to be the main provider even when the woman earns as much or more. That pressure meets a weak economy and many men feel set up to fail. Some women worry they will do most of the emotional and domestic work while also contributing money. They have watched their mothers manage households under stress and are not rushing into the same arrangement. Trust is thinner. Many have already been through relationships that ended badly due to cheating, greed, lack of patience and foresight, and extreme violence and deceits. They enter the next one already guarding themselves. Talking stages drag on because commitment feels risky. Divorce is more visible now. People see couples who did the big wedding and still split after a few years over money or growing apart. That makes the permanent nature of marriage feel less safe. There is also a quieter shift. A lot of young Nigerians want to sort their own lives first; career, some savings, mental space before adding someone else’s needs and family expectations. The old script of finishing school, getting any job and marrying by 25–28 no longer matches underemployment and rising costs. Some women would rather stay single longer than settle for a partnership that drains them. Some men feel the bar has moved so high that they would rather avoid the process. People in that age bracket still get married every year. But the difference is the caution. They are asking harder questions like: Can we afford a place? What happens if one of us loses a job? Are we clear on money, children and in-laws? The fear comes from the economy, the cost of the ceremony, the weight of expectations, and enough broken marriages around them. Until those things ease, many 25- to 35-year-olds will keep choosing to wait. That does not make them unserious. It just means they are paying more attention and probably feeling "woke". End.