2025: 10 Best-Performing States in Nigeria Released, Full List Emerges
- Lagos has topped the 2025 pSPI as the best-performing state, up from fourth in 2024, due to a strong audited performance over perception score
- Methodology shift impacted the rankings, with Gombe falling from first to eighth and Niger, Adamawa, and Abia making significant gains
- FCT, Bayelsa, and Kano dropped in performance, with states urged to embrace transparency, fiscal discipline, and governance accountability
Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, Adamawa, and Niger have been listed among Nigeria’s best-performing states for 2025, according to the newly released Phillips Consulting's State Performance Index (pSPI).
Source: Getty Images
Lagos ranked as top-performing state in 2025
The 2025 edition of the pSPI saw Lagos state rise from fourth place in 2024 to first position this year.
The report attributed this success to Lagos’ strong audited performance, which outweighed its relatively lower perception score, Nigerian Tribune reported.
“Lagos’ rise reaffirms the importance of hard data over perception in assessing governance,” Phillips Consulting stated.
Significant shifts in 2025 Nigerian state performance
The new ranking has reflected 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.
Niger, Adamawa win big on pSPI index
Some states recorded dramatic improvements. For instance, Niger state climbed from 29th place to sixth, Adamawa rose from 26th to fifth, and Abia leapt from 36th to 10th.
“These changes demonstrate that deliberate reforms and fiscal discipline can significantly improve state performance,” Phillips Consulting explained.
pSPI report mentions states that lost ground
Source: Getty Images
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.
Phillips Consulting urged governments to study the index as a tool for accountability and reform, Vanguard reported.
“The pSPI is more than just a ranking; it is a framework for improving governance and fostering healthy competition."
Public affairs analyst, Hamma Hayatu, speaking with Legit.ng on Saturday, September 18, said the 2025 state performance rankings were 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 also reported that Nigeria is divided into 36 states and one federal capital territory, which, in turn, are divided into 774 local government areas.
A vast country in terms of both area and people, it has a population of almost 200 million people and is Africa's most populous country. These are the 10 largest states.
Evans Osabuohien, an Economics Professor at Covenant University, provided insights on how these numerous states could contribute to Nigeria's economic growth.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
