Yes, I know. You are an adult who should leave your parents and embrace adulthood. Yes, you should leave your comfort zone and work your way up the career ladder. Yes, you are likely to find your path more quickly if you leave a place where your parents are supporting you.

But can you do all that when your financial footing is shakier than that wooden slab over a gutter in your area? Is it financially wise to reject help when you are struggling to find your footing?

Let me be clear: this isn't about laziness. This is about survival in an economy that is rigged against young people.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Here is what we are really dealing with. Youth unemployment across Africa hovers around 20 to 30 percent, but that sanitized statistic hides a brutal reality. In South Africa, nearly half of young people aged 15-24 are unemployed.

Nigeria needs to create 700,000 housing units annually just to keep up with population growth, but we are nowhere close. Meanwhile, rent prices are climbing faster than inflation across major cities across Africa.

And let's talk about what "employed" actually means for most young Africans. Over 80 percent of Nigerians with primary education or higher who are classified as employed are actually underemployed in low-productivity informal sector work. That is not a career, that is barely getting by.

So when your uncle asks why you are still at home at 25, these are the numbers he is conveniently ignoring.

The Math of Moving Out

Let's do some honest accounting. Say you land an entry-level job, in most African cities, rent for a decent one-bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood will eat up 40 to 60 percent of your salary. Then add transport, food, utilities, and suddenly you are choosing between eating well and keeping the lights on.

Now imagine the alternative: living at home while banking half your salary. In two years, you could have a down payment for property, seed capital for a business, or enough savings to weather a job loss without ending up on the street. Which scenario actually sets you up for independence?

The irony is thick. The people who shame you for living with your parents often did the whole ‘independence thing’ when rent was affordable and jobs were plentiful. They built their foundations on economic conditions that no longer exist, then judge you for not building on quicksand.

The Hidden Costs They Never Mention

Moving out prematurely has costs beyond money. There is the mental health tax of constant financial stress. There is the opportunity cost of passing up career development or entrepreneurship because you're too busy hustling to make rent. There is the relationship cost of being too stressed and broke to invest in your personal growth or connections.

Let’s take a look at this scenario: A 23 year old lady moves out to prove she was "independent." She spends three years barely surviving, turning down professional development opportunities because she could not afford the transportation.

Her friend who stays at home used those same years to complete a certification program and save money. By 26, the friend who stayed home bought her own apartment.

Now, whose decision made better sense in the long-run?

When Staying Isn't Actually an Option

But, let’s be honest, not every home is a safe place to build from.

Some of you are not wrestling with ego. You are wrestling with survival of a different kind. Maybe your parents see your income as their retirement plan, demanding contributions that leave you with nothing to save. Maybe every decision you make, who you date, where you go, what time you come home, requires approval, as if you are still 15.

Maybe the "help" comes with so many strings attached that you are basically paying rent in emotional labour and lost autonomy.

There is also a particular kind of financial abuse that happens in some African households where parents expect their working children to fund siblings' school fees, family medical bills, and household expenses before they can even think about their own futures. You become the family ATM, not the person building toward independence. And when you finally have nothing left to give, you are labeled selfish or ungrateful.

Or maybe the environment is just toxic. The kind of environment where constant criticism and emotional manipulation thrives. The kind of atmosphere where you can't breathe, let alone thrive. Where staying means sacrificing your mental health on the altar of "respect for elders."

If this is your reality, then yes, leaving might be worth the financial strain. Some prices are too high to pay, even for free rent. Your mental health and your ability to become your own person matters.

But even in this scenario, you are not stuck between only two options. You don't have to choose between toxic parents and financial ruin.

Look for roommate situations to split costs. Consider moving to a less expensive neighborhood temporarily. Find creative housing solutions — some young professionals are house-sitting, subletting, or even negotiating live-in arrangements in exchange for services.

And if you do need to leave a harmful situation, don't let anyone make you feel guilty about it. Protecting your peace is survival.

If you are escaping toxicity, this is not for you. If you need to leave, leave. This is for those of you who have supportive parents and a safe home environment but feel pressured by societal expectations to move out before it makes financial sense.

What "Independence" Actually Means

Now, living with your parents while building your financial foundation is not failure. It is a strategy.

Real independence is not about where you sleep. It is about having options and building wealth instead of just paying bills. It is about making choices based on your goals, not other people's expectations.

In many African cultures, multi-generational households are traditional and practical. The Western idea that everyone must move out at 18 or 21 is a relatively recent invention, built on economic conditions we simply don't have. Why are we importing someone else's timeline and calling it maturity?

A Different Kind of Calculation

If you are living at home, I suggest you make it worth something. Set clear financial goals. Contribute to household expenses if you can.

Use the time and money you are saving to build skills, networks, and savings. Treat it like the strategic advantage it is, not a holding pattern.

And if you do have the financial stability to move out? Great. But do it because it makes sense for your goals, not because you are trying to perform independence for an audience that isn't paying your bills.

The Bottom Line

We are living through one of the toughest economic periods in recent history. Housing costs are soaring, quality jobs are scarce, and the gap between wages and living expenses keeps widening. Across Africa, young people are facing structural challenges that previous generations simply didn't encounter at this scale.

In this context, living with your parents while you build a solid financial foundation is not something to be ashamed of. It is often the smartest move you can make.

The real failure is not living at home at 25 or 27. The real failure is making decisions based on other people's judgments instead of your own financial reality.

Your ego will recover from living with your parents. Your bank account might not recover from the alternative.

So the next time someone gives you grief about still being at home, ask them this: Would you rather I struggle to survive independently, or thrive while building something sustainable? Because in this economy, those are often your only two choices.

Choose thriving. Your future self will thank you.