Anambra State Rejects Philips Consulting Ranking, Calls Report Misleading

The Anambra State government has dismissed the 2025 state performance index released by Philips Consulting Limited, describing the report as flawed, biased, and based on weak methodology.

According to the PCL report, Anambra was ranked among the lowest-performing states in Nigeria—a claim the government strongly disputes. In a statement, Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chiamaka Nnake, said the ranking misrepresents the state’s progress and could damage the consulting firm’s credibility.

Nnake highlighted that Anambra has made significant strides across key sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and security. She cited international assessments that consistently place the state among the top performers, contrasting sharply with PCL’s findings.

The commissioner criticized the methodology used by PCL, pointing out a sample size of only 78 respondents in a state of over six million people and a gender-biased respondent pool. She also noted the report’s heavy reliance on expenditure levels without assessing outcomes, and the absence of on-the-ground verification.

Anambra has achieved notable results in recent years, including free education from Nursery to SS3, increased school enrollment, recruitment of over 8,000 teachers, expansion of healthcare services, and the construction of more than 840 kilometers of roads, bridges, and flyovers. The state has also recorded improvements in child mortality and hospital patronage rates.

Nnake concluded that for Philips Consulting to produce credible rankings, the firm must adopt rigorous statistical methods, engage with communities directly, and provide impartial analysis rather than relying solely on perceptions.