By Oluwabukunmi
Gombe, Sept. 24, 2025 – Gombe State has been ranked the second most transparent state in Nigeria, scoring 99 out of 100 points in BudgIT’s latest Subnational Transparency Assessment.
The civic-tech organisation’s report, which evaluated fiscal openness across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in the second quarter of 2025, placed Gombe just behind Ekiti State, which topped the ranking with 100 points.
BudgIT attributed Gombe’s strong performance to its consistent commitment to transparency and accountability in governance under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
According to the report, Gombe excelled in the timely publication of critical fiscal documents such as the Approved Budget, Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Citizens’ Budget, and Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports (BIRs).
The state was also commended for maintaining an updated e-procurement portal and a functional website that provides citizens with easy access to financial information.
“This unprecedented achievement reflects the sustained efforts of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, who has made open governance and transparency in policy and project implementation a cornerstone of his leadership,” said a statement issued by the governor’s spokesman, Ismaila Misilli.
He added that Gombe’s strides in fiscal openness were winning citizens’ trust, attracting investors, and drawing support from development partners.
“In a country where fiscal secrecy often hinders progress, Gombe State’s commitment to good governance has positioned it as a model for transparency and smart resource management,” Misilli noted.
With this performance, Gombe is expected to consolidate its standing as one of the benchmarks for fiscal reforms in Nigeria.
The ranking comes a month after BudgIT criticised the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation for allegedly flouting the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, by failing to publish quarterly budget implementation reports. The organisation described the omission as a setback to transparency reforms.
