Ranks low in healthcare, roads, education, security, jobs

A Governance assessment rating has ranked Ondo State as the most poorly performing state in Nigeria, placing it among the bottom three in 11 of the 15 governance indicators measuring citizens’ satisfaction with government performance.

The findings, based on a five-point citizens’ satisfaction scale where higher scores indicate stronger public satisfaction, revealed that Ondo recorded its lowest scores in Publicity of Government Policies (2.18), Economic Opportunity (2.27), and Finding Employment (1.64).

According to StatiSense, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) data firm specialising in financial report analysis and AI-driven analytics, the Sunshine State ranked 35th out of the 36 states assessed for public hospital care, based on the percentage of residents satisfied with the quality of public hospitals in their respective states.

The firm’s assessment further revealed the depth of public frustration across multiple sectors, with the state ranked 33rd nationally in citizens’ satisfaction with roads, 32nd in public education quality and 32nd in access to clean water.

“Ondo was the most consistently lowest-rated state, ranking among the bottom three in 11 of the 15 governance indicators. It recorded the lowest score in Publicity of Government Policies, Economic Opportunity, and Finding Employment.

“Scores are based on a five-point citizens’ satisfaction scale, where higher scores indicate stronger public satisfaction with government performance,” StatiSense stated.

However, the StatiSense data indicates that fiscal discipline has failed to translate into citizens’ satisfaction, stating: “In government support for businesses, Ondo recorded the lowest score nationally at 2.27, below Rivers’ 2.28 and Edo’s 2.36, against a national average of 2.65.

“In ease of acquiring and owning property, the state ranked third-lowest at 2.55, behind Lagos (2.18) and Rivers (2.50), with the national score at 2.88.

“The state accounts for over 800 public and private hospitals and clinics. However, independent assessments indicate that many government hospitals across the state function largely as consulting centres where patients receive prescriptions and are subsequently directed to nearby pharmacies to purchase the drugs themselves.”