Report ranks Kaduna, Delta ahead of 34 states in governance index

Delta State has been ranked the second-best governed state in Nigeria under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, according to the 2025 Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) Governance Performance Index.

A Saturday statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Festus Ahon, said the ranking “places Delta State second nationwide with a score of 70 per cent, closely following Kaduna State, which topped the index with 73 per cent.”

The statement said the result “highlights the growing recognition of Governor Oborevwori’s administration for its performance in governance, infrastructure development, public service delivery and overall management of state affairs.”

According to the report, “Governor Oborevwori’s second-place ranking places Delta ahead of 34 out of the 36 states in Nigeria, including Anambra, Niger, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Oyo, Enugu and Borno, which completed the top ten positions.”

It added: “Kaduna State, under Governor Uba Sani, emerged first with 73 per cent, while Delta State followed closely with 70 per cent.

“Anambra State, led by Governor Charles Soludo, ranked third with 65.5 per cent, while Niger State under Governor Mohammed Umar Bago placed fourth with 65.1 per cent.

“Ekiti State, governed by Biodun Oyebanji, came fifth with 64.5 per cent, while Akwa Ibom and Lagos States, led by Governors Umo Eno and Babajide Sanwo-Olu respectively, each scored 64 per cent to occupy the sixth and seventh positions.

“Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde secured eighth place with 61 per cent, followed by Enugu State under Governor Peter Mbah with 56.5 per cent. Borno State, led by Governor Babagana Zulum, completed the top ten with 54 per cent.”

The report further stated that “in the middle-tier category, Kwara, Abia, Ondo, Nasarawa, Osun, Ogun, Kano, Kogi, Edo and Jigawa occupied positions 11 to 20.”

It also listed lower-performing states, noting that “Taraba State ranked last among the 36 states with a governance score of 20 per cent. Yobe, Benue, Rivers, Plateau and Kebbi were also among the bottom performers.”

According to the statement, “the strong showing by Delta State is expected to reinforce growing public confidence in the Oborevwori administration’s MORE agenda, which has driven extensive investments in roads, bridges, healthcare, education and other critical sectors across the state.”

It added: “The ranking further reflects the impact of ongoing development projects and governance reforms being implemented by the administration, positioning Delta among the leading states in Nigeria in terms of governance performance and service delivery.”

The Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies said “the Governance Performance Index serves as a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of state governments and promoting accountability, transparency and sustainable development across the federation.”