The dataset and do-files underlying the regression models in the study have been provided. This study examines how exposure to violent conflict influences individuals’ expectations about Nigeria’s future economic performance. It employed forest cover as an instrumental variable to identify the causal effect of violent conflict on expected economic performance. The regression results reveal that violent conflict makes people pessimistic about the economy’s future performance. This might be because conflict disrupts socioeconomic activities and causes psychological distress, making people less hopeful about the future.