Kimpact Report: No Nigerian State Meets High Democratic Standards

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

A new report by the Kimpact Development Initiative has revealed that no state in Nigeria currently meets the threshold for high democratic performance, exposing deep concerns over governance, accountability and political inclusion across the federation.

The report, titled State of Democracy in Nigeria Report 2025, was unveiled in Abuja and described as the most comprehensive state-by-state assessment of democratic governance ever conducted in Nigeria.

Using its Democracy Performance Index, Kimpact assessed all 36 states through citizen feedback, institutional reviews and official data from the Independent National Electoral Commission, state assemblies, courts, budgets and civil society records.

Its findings showed that while elections are held and democratic institutions exist, many states continue to struggle with transparency, responsiveness and effective governance.

Only six states – Oyo State, Yobe State, Ekiti State, Nasarawa State, Ondo State and Osun State – ranked in the moderate performance category.

Twenty-eight states fell under low performance, while Jigawa State and Rivers State were rated weakest overall.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. of Economic History at Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Adetunji Ogunyemi, said democracy must be defined and measured beyond political slogans.

He said many nations claim to be democratic, but true democracy rests on popular sovereignty, majority rule, periodic elections and an independent judiciary.

According to him, development projects alone should not be mistaken for democratic dividends, noting that even authoritarian systems can provide roads, infrastructure and economic growth.

“The real gains of democracy are the protection of citizens’ rights, free choice of leaders, rule of law and accountable institutions.”

He commended Kimpact for creating a credible framework to test democratic practice at the subnational level, saying the report offers lawmakers, civil society groups and citizens a practical tool to measure governance performance.

The report also identified political inclusion as Nigeria’s weakest democratic pillar, noting that no state achieved moderate representation for women, youths and persons with disabilities.

Executive Director of Kimpact Development Initiative, Bukola Idowu, said the findings should trigger urgent reforms aimed at strengthening institutions, widening civic space and reconnecting governance with citizens.