Delta State has been ranked the second-best governed state in Nigeria in the 2025 Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) Governance Performance Index.
The report placed Delta State, under the leadership of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, in second position nationwide with a score of 70 percent.
Only Uba Sani of Kaduna State ranked higher, scoring 73 percent to emerge as the best-performing governor in the country.
The governance index assessed the performance of governors across Nigeria’s 36 states, focusing on governance outcomes, public service delivery, infrastructure development and administrative effectiveness.
According to the ranking, Delta State outperformed 34 other states, including Anambra, Niger, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Oyo, Enugu and Borno, which were also among the top 10 states on the list.
Anambra State, led by Charles Soludo, placed third with 65.5 percent, while Niger State under Mohammed Umar Bago came fourth with 65.1 percent.
Ekiti State ranked fifth with 64.5 percent, followed by Akwa Ibom and Lagos states, which each recorded 64 percent.
Oyo State secured eighth position with 61 percent, while Enugu and Borno states completed the top 10 rankings.
The report also listed several states in the middle category, including Kwara, Abia, Ondo, Nasarawa, Osun, Ogun, Kano, Kogi, Edo and Jigawa.
At the lower end of the ranking, Taraba State emerged as the least-performing state with a score of 20 percent. Yobe, Benue, Rivers, Plateau and Kebbi were also listed among the lowest-performing states.
The strong performance by Delta State is being seen as a reflection of the Oborevwori administration’s development efforts under its MORE Agenda, which focuses on infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic growth and improved public services.
The report noted that the Governance Performance Index is designed to measure the effectiveness of state governments and encourage accountability, transparency and sustainable development across Nigeria.
Delta’s second-place ranking further strengthens its position among the country’s leading states in governance and service delivery.
