Lagos State has emerged as the best-performing state in Nigeria’s 2025 State Performance Index (SPI). The ranking was released by Phillips Consulting in collaboration with TheCable. Lagos earned a five-star rating, retaining the top position and outperforming all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The index combines 70 percent objective data and 30 percent citizen perception surveys to assess governance, finance, infrastructure, health, education, and service delivery.
Lagos excelled particularly in internally generated revenue (IGR), fiscal sustainability, financial accountability, infrastructure investment, and private sector dynamism, reinforcing its status as Nigeria’s economic powerhouse.
Ogun and Kaduna States placed second and third respectively with four-star ratings, while Adamawa and Niger States completed the top five. The report praised Lagos for strong audited financial performance and governance capacity, even as it noted some challenges in citizen perception scores in certain areas.
Officials and analysts attribute Lagos’ consistent top ranking to effective revenue mobilisation, infrastructure delivery, and economic policies under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
The performance index is expected to serve as a key guide for investors and policymakers navigating Nigeria’s competitive federal system.
