Rivers barred from BudgIT Rankings as Anambra seizes top spot in 2025 Fiscal Report
Business/Economy
Calabar, Cross River – In a bombshell exclusion that's rocking Nigeria's fiscal landscape, Rivers State—a perennial powerhouse in sub national finance—has been dropped entirely from BudgIT Foundation's landmark 2025 State of States Fiscal Performance Ranking.
The 10th edition report, unveiled Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and themed "A Decade of Subnational Fiscal Analysis: Growth, Decline and Middling Performance", cites data inaccessibility due to the state of emergency and removal of elected officers as the culprit.
Rivers, which dominated top-five spots for five straight years and led categories like capital spending (over 70% in 2024), failed to submit audited financial statements.
BudgIT's verdict: "Excluded due to the removal of elected officers under the state of emergency." This marks a stark fall from grace for the oil-rich giant, sparking fierce debates on accountability amid its political turmoil.
With Rivers sidelined, Anambra State surges to #1, overtaking last year's leader and showcasing elite financial discipline. Lagos holds #2 as IGR champ (120.87% ratio), Kwara climbs to #3, while debutants Abia (#4) and Edo (#5) crash the top tier—Abia never cracked top-10 before!
