Oyo State has been ranked Nigeria’s best-performing state in democratic governance and most liveable state in two separate assessments for 2025.
Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement, citing the 2025 Democracy Performance Index report by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), published by StatiSense, and the 2025 Liveability Index by Phillips Consulting.
The democracy index placed Oyo first among Nigerian states, with a score of 70 per cent, while the separate liveability assessment named it the country’s most liveable state.
READ ALSO: HORSA, NITDA Engage Stakeholders to Advance Digital Inclusion
Oyelade explained that the two assessments examined different aspects of state performance, including democratic participation, institutional effectiveness, civil liberties, infrastructure, security, healthcare, education and economic opportunities.
He noted that the democracy index evaluated how democratic processes and institutions functioned across the states, while the liveability assessment focused on conditions affecting residents’ quality of life.
The commissioner attributed Oyo’s performance in the democracy index to factors including electoral participation, institutional effectiveness, protection of civil liberties and political inclusion.
He added that the state had made progress in creating an environment conducive to civic engagement, with legislative oversight, fiscal accountability and civil society participation identified as important elements of democratic governance.
However, Oyelade acknowledged that political inclusion remained a challenge across Nigeria, particularly in the representation of women, young people and persons with disabilities.
He also highlighted Governor Seyi Makinde’s position that his administration placed citizens at the centre of policy decisions, with emphasis on institutional development, transparency and human development.
The two assessments offered separate perspectives on governance and living conditions in Oyo State, although the rankings alone did not establish a direct causal relationship between democratic performance and improved quality of life.
The findings came amid broader debates about accountability, public service delivery and citizens’ participation in Nigeria’s democratic system.
