Affluent Nigerian Families Eye Abu Dhabi, Doha, Singapore For Wealth Security – Report

A new report has spotlighted the cities where high-net-worth (HNW) Nigerians can best preserve and protect their wealth, as rising global taxes, economic uncertainty, and climate-related risks continue to reshape the investment landscape.

Topping the list are Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Singapore, the jurisdictions emerging as secure havens for affluent families seeking long-term financial resilience.

According to ‘The Wealth Report 2025: The Taxed Generation’, published by Singapore-headquartered international mobility platform Multipolitan, it highlighted the evolving preferences of wealthy Nigerian households increasingly turning to global cities that offer fiscal efficiency, legal clarity, and stable governance.

The report introduces the inaugural “Tax Friendly Cities Index”, which ranks Abu Dhabi and Dubai as the world’s top two destinations for investor-friendly tax regimes. Singapore follows closely in third, reinforcing its reputation as a strategic hub for globally mobile families. Doha, Manama, Riyadh, and Kuwait City also feature prominently among the top 20 cities, signalling the Gulf region’s growing attractiveness to Nigerian wealth strategists.

The executive partner for Africa at Multipolitan, Chee Okebalama, at a webinar event to unveil the report, said, “For Nigerian families with foresight, the focus has shifted from chasing returns to securing resilience. Wealth that sleeps in uncertainty is not wealth, it is risk. Cities like Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Wellington, and Copenhagen top Multipolitan’s indices for their governance, stability, and future readiness.”

With Nigeria’s private wealth sector expanding and more families building cross-generational assets, the report provides a roadmap for identifying cities that not only minimise tax exposure but also grant long-term access to international markets, financial systems, and residency opportunities.

Multipolitan’s group head of market development, Nicholas Michael, described the strategic shift: “After a decade in private banking, one truth has stuck with me, where you place your wealth can matter just as much as how you grow it. The UAE and Singapore are not just attracting capital; they are protecting it through fiscal prudence and stable governance.”

The Wealth Report 2025 includes two additional indices that further shape the emerging global wealth narrative: The Wealth Preservation Cities Index (2015–2025) which ranks Zug, Hong Kong, and Basel as the cities that best preserved purchasing power over the last decade and the Smart & Sustainable Cities Index 2025, which names Wellington, Copenhagen, and Singapore as leading cities for climate resilience, future-focused planning, and digital infrastructure.

For Nigerian investors increasingly exploring residency-by-investment and second citizenship options, Multipolitan’s findings offer more than a ranking, they provide actionable intelligence. The report is supported by expert commentary from former tax and wealth planning professionals at EY, Deloitte, and BDO, covering themes such as AI-driven tax strategy, compliance in a transparent financial world, and emerging jurisdictional opportunities across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

In the context of Nigeria’s volatile naira, inflationary pressures, and limited trust in domestic legal frameworks, the appeal of stable international cities is growing. Multipolitan’s report confirms that the strategic migration of wealth, through legal and compliant means, is no longer a luxury but a necessity for many of Nigeria’s upwardly mobile families.

“These are not just migration decisions; they are legacy decisions. We are seeing a strong uptick in interest from Nigerian entrepreneurs and second-generation business leaders seeking jurisdictions that align with their long-term vision—not just for returns, but for safety, access, and control,” Okebalama added.