Despite the criticisms directed at Nigeria’s public institutions, the Nigeria Stability Index (NSI) has shown that some states and institutions in the country were getting things right.

Over the past nine months, the NSI has been spotlighting achievements by states and public institutions alongside its monthly surveys of public sentiment.

In education, the Federal Ministry of Education has featured for two initiatives: the N2.25 billion Student Venture Capital Grant designed to support 45 student innovators, and its coordination of the National Learning Assessment, an effort to better understand learning outcomes in Nigerian schools.

Elsewhere, Kaduna State was recognised for topping the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index, while Rivers State was highlighted for the 105-bed Omoku Zonal Hospital.

Kebbi’s Argungu International Fishing Festival also offered a different picture of development, one rooted in culture, tourism and the economic opportunities surrounding them.

Commenting on the development, a public affairs analyst who pleaded for anonymity, noted that these are not necessarily solutions to Nigeria’s biggest problems.

“A new hospital does not automatically fix healthcare delivery, just as an education grant does not resolve the challenges facing public schools. But they are developments worth examining, recognising and, where successful, learning from,” the source said.

NSI’s monthly research measures public confidence across five pillars: Security, Social Stability, FX and Economy, Governance, and Investor Confidence. Its State and Institution Spotlights provide another perspective, drawing attention to specific efforts being made within the same country whose challenges its surveys document. (Guardian)