Nigeria has emerged as the highest-performing African economy on the economic performance pillar of the 2026 International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking.

The country scored 45.2 points, ranking 55th globally in the economic performance category and outperforming all other African countries assessed in the report.

The IMD ranking evaluated 70 economies across four key indicators: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.

Nigeria recorded the strongest economic performance score among the African countries included in the assessment.

South Africa ranked second among African countries, followed by Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, and Botswana.

The report highlighted Nigeria’s performance in areas related to domestic economic activity, trade, investment, employment, and price developments.

Despite leading Africa in economic performance, Nigeria ranked 68th out of 70 economies in the overall competitiveness ranking, reflecting challenges in infrastructure, institutional efficiency, and broader competitiveness indicators.

The ranking underscores Nigeria’s strength in economic performance while highlighting the need for continued reforms to improve its overall competitiveness globally.