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Pascal Oparada, a reporter for Legit.ng, has over ten years of experience covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy.
A new governance performance report has ranked Zamfara, Kwara, and Benue States as the poorest-managed in Nigeria between 2023 and 2025.
The ranking was contained in a midterm assessment released in London on Monday by the Good Governance Rating Index (GGRI), a UK-based organisation that monitors leadership quality, service delivery, and accountability in developing democracies.
According to GGRI, the three states, led by Governors Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, and Hyacinth Alia of Benue, fell well below national averages across critical indicators, including health, education, infrastructure, economic opportunities, transparency, and security.
Zamfara ranked worst overall, with the report citing worsening armed banditry, mass abductions, and a collapse of basic services.
“Zamfara has no clear developmental agenda despite the governor’s rich manifesto at inception.
Corruption and the unchecked activities of government agents and non-state actors have continued to fuel insecurity even with billions allocated as security votes,” GGRI stated.
The report painted a bleak picture of education, with over 60% of school-age children in rural areas out of school or trapped in dilapidated classrooms. Health facilities were described as chronically underfunded, with maternal mortality among the highest in the country.
Instead of systemic reforms, the government was accused of prioritising political patronage, leaving citizens to suffer from collapsing infrastructure, unpaid workers, and deepening poverty.
Kwara State, under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, ranked second-worst.
The report accused the government of focusing on rhetoric rather than results.
“Poverty is deepening in Kwara while economic activities remain stagnant. The state capital and surrounding towns are plagued with dirty streets and environmental decay, symptomatic of corruption and ineptitude in governance,” the report said.
It highlighted failing schools lacking qualified teachers and materials, alongside under-equipped rural health centres. Despite the governor’s reformist image, the organisation concluded that citizens were not feeling the benefits of government policies in their daily lives.
Benue State, under Governor Hyacinth Alia, ranked third-worst, with GGRI citing insecurity, poverty, and governance failures as the main drivers of its poor rating.
The report noted widespread infrastructure collapse, abandoned hospitals, and “ghost” schools across local government areas. Thousands of internally displaced persons remain without hope of resettlement, while corruption among state officials was described as “rampant.”
“The surroundings in both rural and urban centres are dirty and neglected, with no major infrastructure projects to inspire confidence. What exists is the entrenchment of despair and a government adrift without a clear development agenda,” GGRI concluded.
GGRI warned that the governance failures in Zamfara, Kwara, and Benue have broader implications for Nigeria’s human development index and democratic consolidation.
“The tragedy is not only that citizens are being denied the dividends of democracy, but also that these failures erode public trust in governance. If unchecked, the long-term consequence will be the deepening of poverty, instability, and disillusionment,” it stated.
The organisation urged the federal government, civil society, and international partners to intensify oversight, especially in education, health, and security, while calling on citizens to demand accountability.
“Governors are elected to lead, not to explain away failures. The people of Zamfara, Kwara, and Benue must insist on good governance as a right, not a favour,” GGRI concluded.
Legit.ng earlier reported that despite Nigeria recording a massive 215% jump in capital importation in 2024, a shocking 32 states failed to attract a single dollar in foreign investment.
From Abia to Zamfara, these states were completely sidelined as investors concentrated their funds in just a handful of regions.
Why? The reasons range from insecurity and poor infrastructure to unfriendly policies and a lack of transparency.
Read more on Legit.ng – Nigeria news.
