Anambra Slumps to 34th in National Performance Index as Opposition, Government Clash Over Report

Anambra State has recorded one of the steepest declines in the 2025 Philips Consulting State Performance Index (pSPI), sliding from 8th place in 2024 to 34th out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The ranking, which measures governance, infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic development and digital access, placed Anambra in the “satisfactory” category with just a two-star rating.

The index combined official data from government sources with citizen surveys, giving 70 per cent weight to hard data and 30 per cent to public perception. For Anambra, the report cited weak capital expenditure per capita, poor healthcare delivery, and declining satisfaction with road infrastructure and security as key drivers of its low ranking. The state, however, performed relatively better in education, recording one of the strongest ratios of functional schools to population.

The findings have drawn sharp political reactions. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) said the rating confirmed what residents had long lamented about Governor Charles Soludo’s administration. APC chairman in the state, Sir Basil Ejidike, described APGA’s leadership as the worst in the country in terms of insecurity and infrastructure, while LP’s Dr George Moghalu praised the report for its “honest assessment.” The Young Progressives Party (YPP) also said the rating reflected the reality on the ground.

The Soludo administration swiftly rejected the index, insisting it was politically motivated. Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, argued that the government’s record spoke for itself, pointing to free education from nursery to secondary school, the recruitment of more than 8,000 teachers, the construction of five new general hospitals, upgrades in over 200 schools, and almost 600 kilometres of newly asphalted roads. He said the report ignored these achievements and was “sponsored” to tarnish the state ahead of upcoming elections.

Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chiamaka Nnake, also faulted the methodology, noting that only 78 respondents were surveyed in Anambra, with 76 per cent of them male. She said such a small and skewed sample undermined credibility and risked damaging the reputation of the consulting firm.

While opposition parties hailed the ranking as a wake-up call, the Soludo government maintains that the pSPI has failed to reflect the progress being made in education, healthcare and infrastructure. The controversy has set the stage for what is likely to be an intense political debate ahead of the coming election in Anambra.