Abia Breaks into Top Four in 2025 BudgIT Fiscal Performance Ranking

Abia State has recorded a historic milestone, ranking 4th nationwide in the 2025 BudgIT Fiscal Performance Report — the first time the State has made it into the top ten since the report’s inception a decade ago.

The report highlights Governor Alex Otti’s focused and transparent leadership, which has significantly strengthened Abia’s fiscal discipline and financial management. This recognition follows a similar commendation earlier in the year from the Debt Management Office (DMO) for prudent debt practices and economic governance.

BudgIT, Nigeria’s foremost civic-tech organization promoting fiscal transparency and accountability, bases its assessment strictly on verifiable financial and economic data. The ranking evaluates states on five key indicators:

Ability to meet operating expenses from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),

Year-on-year IGR growth,

Capacity to fund obligations without borrowing,

Debt sustainability, and

Priority given to capital expenditure over recurrent spending.

Abia emerged as the top-performing state in capital expenditure, investing 77.05% of its total budget in capital projects — the highest in the country.

This impressive performance reinforces Abia’s growing reputation for responsible governance and development-focused fiscal management under Governor Otti’s administration.