Nigeria Tops Africa's Economy but Falls in Global Ranking

Nigeria is reported to lead Africa's economy but has dropped to 68th place in global competitiveness, down from 67th in 2025. The country scored 45.2 in the economic performance category, placing it 55th globally, ahead of five other African nations, including South Africa (36th), Ghana (34th), Kenya (33rd), Namibia (22nd), and Botswana (18th).

Despite its economic performance, Nigeria's overall score of 38.8 reflects a decline primarily due to weak infrastructure, governance, and business environment. The country ranks 70th globally in infrastructure, indicating significant challenges in daily business operations.

In governance efficiency, Nigeria moved from 50th to 53rd, while business efficiency dropped from 59th to 63rd. However, Nigeria ranks 16th in public finance measures and 15th in tax policy, indicating relatively strong tax-related policies.

The country faces ongoing challenges in governance institutions, ranking 69th in institutional framework and 22nd in labor market availability.