Revised Report Ranks Abia Second Best Performing State

 

Abia State has risen to second place among Nigeria’s best-performing states in the revised 2026 National Assessment Report by Philips Consulting, with a composite score of 0.55, placing it behind Jigawa State.

The revised assessment represents a major improvement for Abia, which moved from 36th position in 2024 to 10th in 2025 and second in 2026. According to the Abia State Government, the revised ranking gives the state the largest overall improvement among the 33 states assessed in the 2026 edition.

The revision followed a comprehensive review and audit of the methodology used in the initial report released on July 23, 2026. Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said the revised assessment corrected identified issues and separated current state performance from progress recorded over time.

Under the revised methodology, momentum is measured by changes in performance rankings rather than differences between scores produced on different scales. The statement said Abia’s movement from 36th to 10th and then second translated into a net gain of 34 places, the largest overall improvement recorded in the 2026 assessment.

The report placed citizen satisfaction among Abia’s strongest indicators, with a standardised score of +1.78 and an overall satisfaction rating of 3.92, classified as “Good”, based on 770 responses. Residents gave high ratings to government support for businesses, roads and publicity of government policies, while employment opportunities, access to clean water and law-enforcement conduct received comparatively lower ratings.

The assessment also examined the state’s fiscal position, including revenue self-reliance, debt, transparency and capital expenditure. Abia recorded 27 per cent revenue self-reliance, an estimated internally generated revenue of N13,100 per capita and debt of about N31,300 per capita, with a 36 per cent debt-to-revenue ratio. The revised report also placed Enugu third nationally, making the South-East prominent among the stronger-performing regions in the assessments.