A new survey, which examined quality of life, infrastructure, safety, and affordability across eight states between January and May 2026, has found Kano to be the best state to raise a family in Nigeria, performing strongly in several important areas.
The report by SBM Intelligence, titled Where Nigerian Families Actually Thrive, combines findings from two separate surveys: a Quality of Life Survey involving 442 respondents and a Power Survey involving 191 respondents.
Both surveys evaluated 15 indicators ranging from income levels and healthcare access to electricity supply, childcare, education, safety, and housing affordability and general living conditions.
On how Kano State happened on the first spot, the report explained, “The combined picture, drawn entirely from what people in each state told us, is striking. Kano, often overlooked in national quality-of-life conversations, tops the composite ranking.
“Its residents have the best perception of grid supply, it has the safest streets, the most affordable daily life, and the easiest access to childcare of the states surveyed.”
Residents rated the state highly for: Electricity supply, Safety and security, Affordable cost of living, Easy access to childcare services.
SBM Intelligence noted that although incomes in Kano may not be as high as in some commercial cities, lower living costs and improved public safety make it more suitable for family life.
The report said the findings challenge the perception that richer or more commercially active cities automatically offer a better environment for raising children.
Per other states’ performance:
Rivers State ranked second overall, driven by strong healthcare outcomes, stronger family stability, and the lowest frequency of disruptions to daily life recorded in the survey.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) placed fourth, performing strongly on income and social support networks but weakened by rising living costs and negative sentiment around future electricity supply.
In Anambra State, government efforts to improve electricity supply through changes in power distribution were mentioned, although residents still rated power reliability poorly.
At the bottom of the ranking was Cross River State, which scored last on 11 of the 15 measured indicators. The report described the state as facing a broad quality-of-life crisis, with nearly nine out of ten residents indicating a desire to relocate.
Respondents cited poor infrastructure, weak healthcare systems, unreliable electricity supply, and deteriorating education standards as major concerns. Nearly nine out of 10 respondents in Cross River reportedly said they would prefer to relocate.
The FCT 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 the FCT 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.
