Enugu, Jigawa and Abia have emerged as Nigeria’s three most improved states in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index (pSPI) Momentum Index, with the latest assessment highlighting their progress in governance, fiscal management and public service delivery. The independent ranking placed Enugu first with a momentum score of +1.15,……
Enugu, Jigawa and Abia have emerged as Nigeria’s three most improved states in the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Index (pSPI) Momentum Index, with the latest assessment highlighting their progress in governance, fiscal management and public service delivery.
The independent ranking placed Enugu first with a momentum score of +1.15, followed by Jigawa (+0.77) and Abia (+0.67).
Abia finished ahead of Osun, Kano, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Borno, Ogun, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Kaduna, Adamawa, Niger, Bauchi, Plateau, Lagos, Cross River, Bayelsa, Taraba, Nasarawa, Anambra, Delta, Kebbi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Ondo, Benue, Katsina, Imo and Edo.
According to Phillips Consulting, the 2026 assessment covered the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory using 37 governance and development indicators. Seventy per cent of the evaluation was based on audited public financial records and other official data, while 30 per cent came from citizen perception surveys.
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Unlike previous editions, the report adopted a Momentum Index to measure the rate of progress made by states since the last assessment.
Reacting to the ranking, the Jigawa State Government said the state’s performance reflected prudent governance and sound fiscal management.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hamisu Mohammed Gumel, the government noted that Jigawa also emerged as the highest-performing state in the North-West geopolitical zone.
The statement said the state’s performance was driven by “exceptional fiscal discipline, the lowest debt burden per capita in Nigeria, relatively stable agricultural activity despite regional security challenges, and sustained improvements in governance and public service delivery.”
It added that Jigawa ranked second nationally in citizen satisfaction with a score of 3.69 out of 5, with residents giving high ratings to the state in road infrastructure, security and the integrity of public servants.
The report further identified the North-West as Nigeria’s second-best-performing geopolitical zone on the Momentum Index, attributing the region’s performance largely to Jigawa’s fiscal discipline and reform efforts, alongside contributions from Kano and Sokoto.
Phillips Consulting said the findings demonstrated that development was driven more by good governance than by the size of a state’s revenue.
“The findings reinforce a central lesson emerging across the federation: states that have made the greatest progress are not necessarily those with the largest revenues but those that have translated available resources into measurable improvements through sound governance, prudent financial management, transparency, and effective implementation,” the report stated.
It also described Jigawa as a national model of responsible fiscal management.
“The state carries the lowest debt burden per capita in Nigeria, demonstrating how disciplined resource management can deliver sustainable development outcomes even in a challenging economic environment,” the report added.
The Abia State Government also welcomed the ranking, describing it as an affirmation of the reforms being implemented under Governor Alex Otti.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the state’s performance reflected measurable progress across critical sectors.
“Abia’s impressive performance demonstrates that the state’s ongoing reforms and development initiatives are yielding measurable and nationally recognised results,” Kanu said.
He attributed the ranking to investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, digital innovation, security, economic development and public sector reforms.
Kanu added that the report reflected increasing public confidence in the administration’s governance model.
“The ranking also reflects increasing confidence in Abia’s governance model, which places transparency, accountability, prudent resource management and people-centred policies at the heart of public service delivery,” he said.
He added that the recognition by Phillips Consulting “serves as an independent validation of Abia’s reform journey and further strengthens the state’s position as one of Nigeria’s emerging models of transformational governance and inclusive development.”