NEWS
Abia Emerges Among Nigeria’s Top Performing States as Alex Otti’s Reforms Gain National Recognition in pSPI 2025 Ranking
By @TheKELVINATOR, The Eyes Opener News | May 30, 2026
Abia State has secured a place among Nigeria’s top performing states in the newly released 2025 pcl. State Performance Index (pSPI), further strengthening the growing national recognition of Governor Alex Otti administration’s governance reforms and development-driven leadership.
According to the 2025 pSPI ranking, Abia State placed 10th overall among the best performing states in Nigeria, standing proudly as the only South-East state within the top ten positions of the national performance assessment.
The ranking placed Lagos in 1st position, followed by Ogun in 2nd, while Kaduna came 3rd. Other states that made the top twelve include Adamawa, Niger, Nasarawa, Gombe, Jigawa, Plateau, Oyo and Bauchi. The Federal Capital Territory was excluded from the ranking.
The pcl. State Performance Index report, developed by Phillips Consulting, evaluates states using measurable indicators tied to governance, economic growth, infrastructure, fiscal management, human capital development and citizen perception. The 2025 edition reportedly expanded its methodology with stronger emphasis on objective developmental outcomes and audited performance data.
Abia’s inclusion among the country’s top performing states is being linked to the visible transformation recorded under Governor Alex Otti in less than three years in office.
The ranking placed Abia State in 36th position in 2023 before rising dramatically to 10th position in 2025 under Governor Alex Otti’s administration. Since assuming leadership in 2023, the administration has continued to attract attention for its aggressive infrastructure renewal, improved fiscal discipline, healthcare reforms, road reconstruction projects and renewed investor confidence across the state.
Recent independent assessments have also highlighted Abia’s rising profile in governance and public sector performance. Reports linked to the 2025 State Performance Index noted that the state ranked strongly in capital expenditure performance, infrastructure delivery and governance reforms under Otti’s leadership.
The growing reputation of Abia has also reflected in public conversations across Nigeria, with many observers pointing to the rapid changes in sectors such as road infrastructure, healthcare and power supply, especially in Aba and other commercial areas of the state.
Political analysts believe the latest pSPI ranking further validates the ongoing reforms in Abia and positions the state as one of the emerging development success stories in Nigeria’s sub-national governance landscape.
The 2025 pSPI report noted that the index was designed to provide deeper insights into the socioeconomic performance and risk profiles of Nigerian states, while helping citizens, investors and policymakers track governance outcomes and developmental progress across the federation.