2025: 10 Best-Performing States in Nigeria Finally Released, Full List Emerges
- Lagos tops 2025 pSPI as best-performing state, rising from 4th in 2024 due to strong audited performance over perception scores
- Methodology shift impacted rankings, with Gombe falling from 1st to 8th, while Niger, Adamawa, and Abia make huge gains through reforms
- FCT, Bayelsa, and Kano drop in performance, as pcl. urges states to embrace transparency, fiscal discipline, and governance accountability
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Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, Adamawa, and Niger have been listed among Nigeria’s best-performing states for 2025, according to the newly released Phillips Consulting (pcl.) State Performance Index (pSPI).
Lagos tops the 2025 rankings
Source: Getty Images
The 2025 edition of the pSPI saw Lagos state rise from fourth place in 2024 to first position this year.
The report attributes this success to Lagos’ “strong audited performance” which outweighed its relatively lower perception score.
“Lagos’ rise reaffirms the importance of hard data over perception in assessing governance,” pcl. stated.
Significant shifts in performance
The new ranking reflects a shift in methodology, rewarding actual performance over perceived potential. This change caused notable movements in state positions.
For instance, Gombe state, which ranked first in 2024, fell to eighth position in 2025. According to the index, while its perception score remained strong, weaknesses were exposed in its audited financials and objective performance data.
Big winners in the 2025 index
Some states recorded dramatic improvements. Niger State climbed from 29th place to 6th, Adamawa rose from 26th to 5th, and Abia leapt from 36th to 10th.
“These changes demonstrate that deliberate reforms and fiscal discipline can significantly improve state performance,” pcl. explained.
Report mentions states that lost ground
Not all states fared well in the new rankings.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bayelsa, and Kano recorded major drops, underscoring the risks of weak transparency and poor fiscal discipline.
pcl. urged governments to study the index as a tool for accountability and reform.
“The pSPI is more than just a ranking, it is a framework for improving governance and fostering healthy competition,” the consultancy emphasised.
Public affairs analyst, Hamma Hayatu, speaking with Legit.ng on Saturday, September 18, said the 2025 state performance rankings:
“Is not rocket science. If you mean well for your state and focus on genuine reforms, the state will perform very well. The results speak for themselves.
"Lagos, Niger, and Adamawa did not just rise by accident. Their leaders invested in transparency, fiscal discipline, and service delivery. That is why their people are seeing results.”
Top 10 largest states in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria is divided into 36 states and one federal capital territory, which, in turn, are divided into 774 local government areas.
Here is a list of Nigeria's top 10 largest states and top facts about each of them. Evans Osabuohien, an Economics Professor at Covenant University, provides insights on how these states can contribute to Nigeria's economic significance, fostering inclusive growth and sustainable development.
Nigeria is a vast country in terms of both area and people. With a population of almost 200 million people, it is Africa's most populous country. The following are the 10 biggest states in Nigeria that you should be aware of.
Source: Legit.ng
