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Abia State has moved from 36th position in 2024 to second place in Nigeria in the revised 2026 State Performance Index released by Phillips Consulting.
The state recorded a composite score of 0.55, placing second behind Jigawa State and ahead of Enugu State, which ranked third.
The latest ranking represents a major improvement for Abia, which moved from 36th in the 2024 edition to 10th in 2025 before rising to second in the revised 2026 assessment. Phillips Consulting said this represents the largest overall improvement among the 33 states ranked in the 2026 edition.
The revised report followed a review of the methodology used in the initial 2026 assessment, which was released on July 23.
According to Phillips Consulting, the review was carried out to strengthen the methodology and provide a clearer distinction between a state’s current performance and its progress over time.
The revised assessment now separates the Performance Snapshot, which measures where states stand in 2026, from the Rank Trajectory, which tracks how their positions have changed across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions.
Abia also emerged as the highest-ranked state in the South-East, with Enugu occupying third position nationally.
The report identified citizen satisfaction as Abia’s strongest performance area. The state recorded a standardised score of 1.78 and an absolute citizen satisfaction score of 3.92, classified as “Good”. The assessment was based on responses from 770 residents.
Residents gave the highest ratings to government support for businesses, which scored 4.45, followed by roads at 4.42 and publicity of government policies at 4.33.
However, some areas received lower ratings. Employment opportunities scored 3.12, access to clean water 3.22, while the conduct of law enforcement agencies scored 3.56.
The report also examined Abia’s fiscal position. The state recorded 27 per cent revenue self-reliance, internally generated revenue per capita of approximately ₦13,100, debt per capita of about ₦31,300, a 36 per cent debt-to-revenue ratio and a 70 per cent capital expenditure share.
On transparency, Abia recorded a score of 0.38. The revised assessment used the state’s FY2025 audited accounts, which became available after the initial 2026 assessment had been released.
Phillips Consulting also revised its approach to measuring debt sustainability, taking into account both debt per capita and debt relative to state revenue.
The firm said the changes were intended to provide a broader assessment of the size and sustainability of states’ debt positions.
Phillips Consulting Chairman, Foluso Phillips, said the review was undertaken to strengthen the credibility and usefulness of the State Performance Index.
The revised methodology, according to the firm, is designed to distinguish between a state’s current position and the progress it has made over time.
The State Performance Index assesses states across areas including citizen experience, fiscal sustainability, revenue performance, transparency and performance trajectory.
The revised 2026 edition supersedes the initial report released in July, while the 2024 and 2025 editions remain unchanged.
Phillips Consulting also said future editions would be published after July 31 each year to allow the assessment to incorporate audited financial statements from the preceding financial year.
With the revised figures, Abia now ranks second nationally and first in the South-East, after moving from 36th in 2024 to 10th in 2025 and second in 2026.
