Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform— October 14, 2026.
ENUGU State was ranked Nigeria’s fastest-improving state in the initial 2026 State Performance Momentum Index released by Phillips Consulting in July, with the assessment highlighting governance reforms, fiscal discipline and institutional capacity under Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
The July report awarded Enugu a momentum score of +1.15, placing it first among the 33 states assessed. Jigawa ranked second with +0.77, while Abia came third with +0.67, according to reports published by THISDAY and ARISE News.
The assessment formed part of the Phillips Consulting State Performance Index (pSPI), a framework designed to evaluate governance and development outcomes across Nigeria’s states using measurable indicators and citizens’ perceptions.
WHAT THE INITIAL INDEX MEASURED
The initial 2026 assessment examined seven major areas: security, education, health, basic infrastructure, governance, economic development and fiscal performance.
According to Phillips Consulting’s methodology, the index combined 70 per cent objective data with 30 per cent citizen perception data. The Momentum Index was introduced to measure the pace of improvement relative to the national average, rather than simply comparing states’ existing performance levels.
The July findings placed Enugu ahead of the other states assessed, while the South-East recorded the strongest overall regional performance in the initial momentum assessment.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: SEPTEMBER REVISION
However, an important development followed the initial publication. On September 25, 2026, The Guardian Nigeria reported that Phillips Consulting had released a revised 2026 State Performance Index, incorporating newly available 2025 audited financial statements and changes to its methodology.
The revised edition superseded the initial July edition. It replaced the single Momentum Index with two separate measures: a Performance Snapshot, which assesses states’ performance, and a Rank Trajectory, which tracks changes in their positions across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions.
The revision also updated the financial assessment and strengthened the methodology for evaluating fiscal transparency and debt sustainability.
Consequently, the July ranking should be understood as a finding of the initial assessment, rather than presented as the definitive result of the revised 2026 index. The revised rankings should be consulted before making claims about Enugu’s final position in the updated assessment.
WHY THE INDEX MATTERS
Independent performance assessments can provide useful information for policymakers, investors, development partners and citizens evaluating governance and development across Nigeria.
For Enugu State, the findings offer an opportunity to examine progress in public administration, infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and economic development, while identifying areas requiring further attention.
Ultimately, the significance of any performance index lies not only in a state’s position on a ranking table but also in the quality of evidence behind the assessment and the extent to which reported improvements translate into better living conditions for residents.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform,remains committed to responsible journalism, factual reporting, transparency and accountability in covering governance and development across Enugu State and Nigeria.
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