A new report by SBM has ranked Kano as the best state among eight surveyed locations for Nigerian families to live and thrive, while Cross River emerged as the worst-performing state across nearly every quality-of-life indicator.
The report, titled Where Nigerian Families Actually Thrive, assessed safety, healthcare, affordability, childcare access, school quality, electricity supply, housing costs, income levels and relocation intentions across Abuja, Anambra, Bauchi, Cross River, Kano, Lagos, Oyo and Rivers states.
According to SBM, the findings were based on two separate surveys conducted between January and May 2026. The Quality of Life Survey sampled 442 respondents, while the Power Survey covered 191 respondents across the same states.
Income and Cost of Living
SBM found that Abuja recorded the highest average income levels among the surveyed states. The Federal Capital Territory scored 3.16 on income, with 41.2 percent of respondents earning between N500,000 and N999,999 monthly, while another 9.8 percent earned above N1 million monthly. However, the report stressed that high earnings no longer guarantee financial comfort. Abuja residents reported that rising rent, transport and utility bills consume most household income.Kano, despite topping the overall ranking, recorded the lowest income score at 2.08. More than 31 percent of respondents in the state said they earn below N100,000 monthly. Lagos also underperformed on income expectations, scoring only 2.43 due to wage compression and the size of its informal workforce.
On affordability, Kano and Rivers emerged as the best-performing states. Kano scored 3.53 on daily affordability, while Rivers scored 3.53 on housing affordability and 3.44 on daily living affordability. Lagos ranked worst on affordability with a housing score of 1.63 and daily living score of 1.71. SBM noted that flats which rented for N500,000 in 2023 now cost as much as N2.5 million annually in some parts of Lagos.
Safety and Security
Kano recorded the strongest security performance in the report, posting a safety score of 3.98, the highest across all measured indicators. About 80.4 percent of respondents in the state said they feel safe after dark and rarely worry about crime affecting their children. The report linked Kano’s strong safety performance to recent government interventions, including the deployment of a 2,000-member neighbourhood watch corps and cross-border intelligence sharing with neighbouring states.Rivers followed with a safety score of 3.47, while Lagos recorded 3.14.
Cross River ranked last on security with a safety score of 1.84, reinforcing concerns about deteriorating living conditions and weak public infrastructure in the state.
Education and Childcare
Kano and Abuja emerged as the strongest states for school quality. Kano scored 3.61, Abuja scored 3.55 and Rivers followed closely with 3.53. SBM explained that the survey focused on schools that ordinary families can realistically afford, rather than elite private institutions.
Lagos scored 2.92, with respondents saying quality education in the state remains too expensive for average families.Cross River again ranked lowest with a school quality score of 1.96. The report cited worsening education conditions, including poorly maintained schools, declining WAEC performance and growing unofficial school levies.
On childcare access, Kano recorded the highest score at 4.22, while Cross River posted the weakest performance.Healthcare ServicesRivers State emerged as the strongest healthcare performer with a healthcare score of 3.68, ahead of Oyo at 3.49 and Abuja at 3.33. SBM linked Rivers’ strong healthcare rating to recent investments in hospitals and primary healthcare centres, including the commissioning of the 105-bed Ahoada Zonal Hospital and the revitalisation of more than 200 health centres statewide.
Lagos scored 2.67 despite its reputation for quality medical services, with respondents saying many hospitals remain unaffordable for ordinary residents.Cross River recorded the weakest healthcare score at 2.00.
Power Supply and Infrastructure
The report showed major differences in electricity supply and infrastructure across the states. Kano recorded the highest grid supply score at 3.62 and also achieved the best DISCO satisfaction rating of 3.38. Only 9.5 percent of Kano respondents reported receiving fewer than eight hours of electricity daily. Anambra emerged as the worst-performing state on electricity supply. About 81.4 percent of respondents said they receive less than eight hours of electricity daily, while the state recorded the lowest DISCO rating at 1.77. Only 16.3 percent of residents expressed optimism about future power improvements.
Oyo residents experienced some of the highest disruption levels, with 83.6 percent reporting repeated disruptions within six months. However, 90 percent of respondents still believed power supply would improve in the future, the highest optimism score nationwide.Abuja also performed poorly on power optimism, with only 19 percent of residents expressing confidence in future electricity improvements.
Satisfaction and Relocation Trends
Oyo emerged as the state with the highest resident satisfaction levels. The state scored 3.69 on overall satisfaction, while 56.4 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their living conditions. Only 1.8 percent of Oyo residents said they were likely to relocate, making it the strongest retention performer among all surveyed states.
Cross River recorded the most alarming relocation figures. According to the report, 89.9 percent of residents said they were likely or very likely to leave the state. Lagos and Anambra both recorded relocation intentions around 49 percent, while Rivers posted 40.4 percent despite its strong overall performance.
Among Nigerians considering relocation, Abuja emerged as the most preferred destination, followed by Lagos, Anambra, Enugu and Uyo. SBM noted that Abuja continues to attract families because of its perception as Nigeria’s most organised and opportunity-driven city, despite rising living costs.
Overall Rankings
The report placed Kano at the top of the overall quality-of-life ranking with a composite score of 3.92. Rivers followed with 3.29, while Oyo scored 3.09. Abuja ranked fourth with 2.97, followed by Anambra at 2.85, Bauchi at 2.81 and Lagos at 2.61. Cross River ranked last with a score of 2.1 after performing poorly across most indicators. SBM warned that the findings reveal widening inequalities in living standards across Nigeria and called for urgent government interventions, especially in Cross River, Lagos, Abuja and Anambra.
