Nigeria’s conversation about the “best place to live” has long been dominated by Lagos and Abuja but a new national assessment is redirecting attention to Kano, where affordability, safety, and social stability are giving families a stronger sense of balance than many of the country’s larger economic centres.
A report by SBM Intelligence, Where Nigerian Families Actually Thrive, has ranked Kano as the best state to raise a family in Nigeria after examining living conditions across eight states between January and May 2026.
The study combined findings from a Quality of Life Survey involving 442 respondents and a Power Survey with 191 participants. Together, the surveys measured 15 indicators tied to family wellbeing, including healthcare, electricity, childcare access, education, income levels, housing affordability, and public safety.
Kano emerged ahead of the pack largely because residents reported safer streets, lower living costs, easier access to childcare, and stronger perceptions of electricity supply than respondents in other surveyed states.
SBM Intelligence noted that the result challenges the belief that Nigeria’s wealthiest or most commercially active cities automatically offer the best conditions for raising children.
“The combined picture, drawn entirely from what people in each state told us, is striking,” the report stated. “Kano, often overlooked in national quality-of-life conversations, tops the composite ranking.”
While incomes in Kano remain lower than those in some southern commercial hubs, the report found that lower daily expenses and improved security have helped create a more stable environment for households.
Part of that security advantage was linked to the state’s 2,000-member neighbourhood watch structure and intelligence-sharing arrangements with neighbouring states aimed at tackling insecurity.
The ranking also comes amid increased public investment across Kano. Earlier this year, the state approved N8.5 billion for infrastructure, healthcare, and education projects. The approvals were announced by Ibrahim Abdullahi-Waiya after the 37th Executive Council meeting held at the Malam Aminu Kano House in Abuja.
Among the projects approved were N251.9 million in compensation tied to the construction of a five-kilometre dualised road in Bagwai Local Government Area, N148.8 million for an orphanage hostel at Nassarawa Children’s Home, and N147.2 million for the construction of an access road linking Farin Ruwa and Yan Kwadi village in Shanono Local Government Area.
The state had earlier approved more than N6.9 billion for road construction, drainage systems, water supply, education, entrepreneurship programmes, social welfare initiatives, and governance reforms.
Rivers State placed second in the SBM Intelligence ranking, driven by strong healthcare outcomes, family stability, and the lowest disruption frequency recorded in the survey.
The report also highlighted the widening strain in Lagos, where soaring housing costs and worsening affordability continue to weigh heavily on residents despite the city’s economic pull.
Taken together, the findings suggest a shift in what many Nigerian families now value most: stability over status, affordability over image, and security over the rush of commercial life.
No comments:
Post a Comment