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AbdulRazaq’s Urban Renewal Drive Gets Global Spotlight as Ilorin Makes Oxford Economics Index
From Local Capital to Global City: Oxford Economics Lists Ilorin Among World’s Cities
Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has secured a place among the world’s 1,000 largest cities assessed in the 2026 Global Cities Index by Oxford Economics, emerging as one of the 18 Nigerian cities featured in the prestigious global benchmarking exercise.
The recognition places Ilorin at 957th globally and ninth among Nigerian cities, in an index that assesses major urban economies across five broad areas: Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance.
Oxford Economics describes the Global Cities Index as a data-driven assessment of the strengths, weaknesses and future potential of the world’s 1,000 largest cities. Its methodology combines the five categories into a single overall score to provide a broad picture of urban performance.
The Nigerian cities featured in the 2026 ranking include Lagos, Abuja, Onitsha, Owerri, Enugu, Ibadan, Aba, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Ogbomoso, Benin City, Abeokuta, Kaduna, Jos, Zaria, Kano, Maiduguri and Sokoto.
Lagos ranked 485th globally, followed by Abuja at 741st, Onitsha at 802nd, Owerri at 817th, Enugu at 850th, Ibadan at 881st, Aba at 925th, Port Harcourt at 956th and Ilorin at 957th.
For Ilorin, the ranking provides another international reference point for the city’s evolving urban profile, coming amid a period of visible investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, digital development and urban renewal across Kwara State.
Since assuming office in 2019, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq‘s administration has highlighted investments in road infrastructure, school renovation and remodelling, healthcare, water supply, digital technology and other urban projects. The state government has also listed the Innovation Hub, International Conference Centre, Civil Service Clinic, Finance House and other projects among ongoing or completed strategic developments in Ilorin.
The administration has also pursued policies aimed at expanding broadband connectivity across Kwara, with the government stating that improved digital infrastructure is intended to support businesses, healthcare, education and economic activity across the state.
The significance of the Oxford ranking therefore extends beyond a numerical position. For many residents and observers, Ilorin’s appearance on a global urban benchmarking platform provides an opportunity to examine the city’s progress, remaining challenges and prospects for greater economic and human-capital development.
The ranking has generated positive reactions among residents and social-media users, with attention drawn to the city’s growing infrastructure base, expanding public facilities and improvements in key sectors.
For Kwara, the development adds another international data point to the state’s broader development narrative under Governor AbdulRazaq, whose administration has repeatedly articulated an ambition to position Kwara as a more self-reliant, investment-friendly and technology-driven economy.
With Ilorin now formally appearing among the 1,000 cities benchmarked by Oxford Economics, the Kwara capital has another global platform from which its future growth, competitiveness and urban transformation can be measured.
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