•Kano State
Kano State has been ranked Nigeria’s most liveable state for families, while Cross River State placed last, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The report, published yesterday, assessed quality of life across Abuja (FCT), Anambra, Bauchi, Cross River, Kano, Lagos, Oyo and Rivers states between April and May 2026, covering 442 respondents, reports The Guardian.
SBM Intelligence also conducted a separate “Power Survey” involving 191 respondents across the same eight states and the FCT in January 2026 as complementary data. The report used a five-point composite scoring system.
“The data in this report is only up to date as of Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Some of it is subject to change during the natural course of events.
“In each of the eight states, we deliberately recruited respondents to achieve an even split across high-brow, middle-class and low-income residential areas,” the report stated.
The survey assessed quality of life based on safety, affordability, healthcare, education and infrastructure.
Kano topped the rankings due to strong scores in safety, childcare access and affordability, despite relatively lower income levels among residents. The report noted that families in the state enjoy a relatively stable and affordable lifestyle within modest means.
Rivers State followed closely, driven by strong healthcare performance and family stability, while Abuja ranked fourth, recording high income levels but weakened by high living costs and poor electricity supply.
Cross River ranked last across most indicators, including safety, education, healthcare and affordability, with the report describing its performance as a “collapse” across key metrics.
Abuja recorded the highest income levels among respondents, while Kano ranked lowest, with a significant proportion earning below N100,000 monthly.
However, the report noted that high earnings in Abuja and Lagos were offset by rising costs of housing, transportation and utilities, making affordability a major challenge.
Kano also emerged as the most affordable state for daily living, while Lagos recorded the lowest scores in both housing and overall living costs.
