Nigeria has recorded the second-largest deterioration in governance performance in Africa over the past decade, ranking 38th out of 54 countries in the 2026 Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG).
The report by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, sighted by ASHENEWS, said Nigeria’s Overall Governance score fell by 5.2 points between 2016 and 2025, leaving it at 44.2 points in 2025. Only Burkina Faso recorded a larger decline over the period.
Nigeria was also the only country among the 54 assessed to record deterioration across all four major governance dimensions—Security & Rule of Law, Participation, Rights & Inclusion, Foundations for Economic Opportunity, and Human Development.
The report attributed Nigeria’s sharpest decline to Security & Rule of Law, which fell by 11.2 points over the decade. Within the category, Security & Safety declined by 18.3 points, reflecting rising armed conflict and violence against civilians.
The report said Nigeria’s Foundations for Economic Opportunity also deteriorated by 4.2 points, making it one of only nine African countries where the category declined. The deterioration was driven largely by a 12.1-point fall in the Rural Economy and a 3.2-point decline in Public Administration.
Public perception of economic opportunities was among the country’s most deteriorated indicators, falling by 39.6 points over the decade.
The report further identified deterioration in 12 of the 16 sub-categories assessed for Nigeria. These included Security & Safety, Rule of Law & Justice, Participation, Rural Economy and Social Protection & Welfare, all of which recorded declines of more than 10 points.
Nigeria recorded progress in only four sub-categories: Inclusion & Equality, Health, Education and Sustainable Environment.
The decline also extended to several indicators directly affecting citizens. The report listed deteriorating public perceptions of poverty and social protection, rule of law, anti-corruption, health, economic opportunities and infrastructure among Nigeria’s 10 most declined indicators.
Media Freedom declined by 12.9 points, while Absence of Violence against Civilians fell by 20.6 points.
The infrastructure findings also highlighted persistent public dissatisfaction. Nigeria and The Gambia were the only two African countries where Infrastructure performance deteriorated between 2016 and 2025. In Nigeria, satisfaction with road and bridge maintenance fell by 42.9 points, while satisfaction with electricity supply declined by 29 points.
On social protection, Nigeria was among the continent’s major laggards. The country recorded an 11.7-point deterioration in Social Protection & Welfare over the decade, alongside Ethiopia and South Africa among the continent’s most populous countries experiencing decline in the category.
The report said Nigeria’s governance trajectory is classified as “Slowing Deterioration”, with the findings particularly significant ahead of the country’s 2027 general elections.
The 2026 IIAG covers governance performance across the 54 African countries from 2016 to 2025 and assesses public governance through four broad dimensions and 16 sub-categories.
