BudgIT Ranks Zamfara Among Nigeria’s 10 Most Fiscally Viable States

Zamfara State has emerged among the 10 best-performing states in fiscal viability, ranking 10th nationally in the 2026 State of States report released by civic organisation BudgIT.

The state scored 74.97 per cent in the Fiscal Viability Index, placing it among states demonstrating stronger capacity to meet expenditure obligations with available revenue.

The report, titled State of States 2026: States’ Performance on Pillar B/Fiscal Viability, assessed the fiscal performance of 35 Nigerian states based on their ability to manage public finances and sustain government expenditure.

Zamfara’s performance comes amid growing recognition of the fiscal and developmental reforms being implemented by Governor Dauda Lawal since assuming office.

The development also follows recent commendation by renowned economist and former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, who expressed satisfaction with the transformational achievements recorded in the state under Lawal’s administration.

According to BudgIT, fiscal viability measures the extent to which state governments can meet their financial obligations without depending excessively on federal allocations.

The organisation explained that states with stronger performances demonstrate greater capacity to manage expenditure obligations within the limits of their available revenue.

It added that genuine fiscal sustainability requires state governments to finance salaries, overheads and debt obligations from internally generated and other available revenues while managing competing demands on public resources.

Enugu State topped the ranking with 98.38 per cent, followed by Bayelsa with 88.83 per cent, while Zamfara occupied the 10th position.

The report also identified Zamfara as the second-least-indebted state in the country, with a debt per capita of N19,464.

Zamfara was among only three northern states that made the top 10, alongside Gombe, which scored 78.07 per cent to rank seventh, and Niger, which scored 76.03 per cent to occupy ninth position.

BudgIT said its 2026 assessment examined how states generated revenue, managed public expenditure, sustained their finances and allocated resources to critical sectors.

The organisation disclosed that the latest edition adopted a revised methodology built around four assessment pillars: revenue performance, accounting for 40 per cent; fiscal viability, 30 per cent; debt sustainability, 15 per cent; and spending on selected critical sectors, also 15 per cent.

The assessment further considered states’ dependence on Federation Account allocations, expenditure patterns, capital investments, debt obligations and prevailing fiscal pressures.

It also introduced greater emphasis on the developmental impact of public spending, particularly investments in agriculture, healthcare, education, water, sanitation and hygiene.

BudgIT explained that the revised framework was designed to provide a broader understanding of how state governments manage public resources and translate available funds into development outcomes.

The latest ranking builds on Zamfara’s improvement in BudgIT’s previous assessments.

In its 2025 State of States report, the organisation ranked Zamfara 17th in fiscal performance, representing a significant improvement from 26th position in 2024 and 36th in 2023, the year Governor Lawal assumed office.

The latest 10th-place ranking in the Fiscal Viability Index further highlights the state’s improved standing in the management of public finances, although the overall State of States assessment considers additional indicators beyond fiscal viability.