pcl. Unveils 2025 State Performance Index: A scorecard for governance and development in Nigeria

As data increasingly becomes the currency of governance and economic growth, Phillips Consulting Limited (pcl.) is taking the lead with the launch of the 2025 edition of the State Performance Index (pSPI), a comprehensive, evidence-based scorecard that evaluates the performance of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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The pSPI, now in its third edition, is pcl.’s most comprehensive attempt at assessing state-level development holistically. Drawing from 37 carefully selected Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the index spans across key service areas, including health, education, basic infrastructure, governance, economic development, and digital access.

What sets the 2025 pSPI apart is the depth of its scope, combined with the rigour of its methodology, a balanced 70:30 blend of objective and perception-based data. With almost 10,000 citizens surveyed nationwide, this year’s index integrates real public sentiment with hard statistics, offering a unique 360-degree lens into governance and reform potential across Nigeria’s subnational.

Key Findings: Progress and Decline

These align with current national conversations and global governance trends:

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Fiscal Sustainability: With growing concerns around debt, Jigawa and Kaduna’s low debt and asset growth are models of healthy financial governance, ranking 1st in debt per capita and asset per capita, respectively.
Inclusive Development: States like Rivers generate enormous revenue, but citizens rate satisfaction low. Thiscontrast is highly relevant as the impact of these must be felt by the citizens.
Public Service Trust: Citizens rated indicators like the honesty of public servants and the quality of health services and education, which speaks directly to trust in institutions and is critical for domestic and donor engagement. States like Gombe, Jigawa, Niger and Osun have high satisfaction rate from their citizens.
Basic Infrastructure: Clean water and sanitation have global development resonance (SDGs). Highlighting citizen feedback in these areas, states like Akwa Ibom emerged as first in environmental cleanliness and third in water access, showing strong delivery in basic services. Other states like Gombe, Jigawa, Cross River, Yobe, Benue, and Kebbi have also demonstrated positive impact in these indicators.

The new PSPI does more than rank the states. It introduces insights for policymakers, investors, and development partners into where transformative change is most achievable.

A New Approach to Governance Assessment

The pSPI 2025 introduces a five-tier rating system, ranging from Fair to Exceptional, making it easier to compare performance across states at a glance.

The pSPI is more than just a report; it’s now an interactive, living tool designed to provide deep insights and drive real change. For each of the 36 states, pSPI offers a detailed representation that includes:

A comprehensive overview of the state’s people, culture, politics, and economy.
Rankings of key economic indicators, helping to benchmark progress and competitiveness.
Strengths and weaknesses, based on performance data across multiple sectors.
Citizen satisfaction ratings in 16 critical areas, providing the public verdict on governance and service delivery.
Relocation trends show the most and least preferred states based on public sentiment.
Insights on grassroots governance, including citizen awareness of local government leadership and programs.

Level of public trust, reflecting how residents feel towards the value they get from the taxes they pay.

The goal of pSPI is not to score or rank states but to empower them. It acts as a diagnostic and decision-making tool, helping leaders identify unique gaps and implement targeted interventions to improve service delivery, governance, and overall citizen satisfaction.

For Stakeholders

The pSPI could not be more timely or relevant, especially in a period where data-driven decision-making is no longer optional but essential. As the country grapples with economic recovery, governance reform, and service delivery challenges, pSPI offers a unique opportunity to align strategies with reality on the ground.

Here’s how different stakeholders can benefit:

Policy Makers can use the index to benchmark progress, set reform priorities, and direct investments into critical sectors like health systems, education, infrastructure, and job creation.
Investors are provided with a rare, data-backed lens into state-level economic governance, institutional strength, and service delivery, vital indicators for assessing risk, stability, and growth potential before committing capital.
Development Partners can leverage the Reform Readiness Scores to identify where technical assistance or funding will have the greatest impact, ensuring resources are deployed more strategically and equitably.
Citizens gain access to transparent, comparative data that empowers them to demand better governance and track how their state is performing relative to others, turning awareness into action.
Academia and Think Tanks can use the data to generate local insights, influence public discourse, and shape evidence-based policy recommendations.
Media and Civil Society have a reliable tool to highlight disparities, spotlight success stories, and keep government actions in the public eye with credible evidence.
The PSPI is a tool for reflection. It bridges the gap between policy ambition and citizen experience, ensuring every stakeholder has a role to play in building a stronger Nigeria.

Beyond Rankings: Toward a Culture of Accountability

The pSPI represents a vital commitment to a culture of performance, accountability, and continuous reform across Nigeria’s subnational governments. It serves as a comprehensive roadmap for policymakers, investors, development partners, and civil society stakeholders who are invested in advancing Nigeria’s state-level development beyond rhetoric and into measurable progress. The pSPI offers a powerful tool to transform conversations. It shifts the focus from politics to tangible performance outcomes and impactful results that improve lives. Using clear data-driven insights, the pSPI enables stakeholders to identify areas of strength, recognise opportunities for improvement, and prioritise reforms that drive sustainable growth and development.

The 2025 State Performance Index delivers an updated, thorough analysis of state rankings based on multiple performance indicators. This enables states to benchmark themselves against peers, track progress over time, and create healthy competition between states. Through this, the pSPI empowers Nigerian states to take ownership of their development agendas, ensuring that reforms deliver real, positive change for citizens.

Explore the full report and rankings on pspi.com.ng