A new survey has shown that residents of the five states in Nigeria’s South-east geopolitical zone prefer to relocate to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos State.
The data, published by Statisense based on the 2025 PCI report, detailed where people in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States would prefer to relocate.
According to the report, the FCT is the number one destination in four of the five states, while Lagos ranks in the top two in all five states.
The breakdown showed that in Abia State, 45 per cent of respondents chose Abuja as their preferred destination, followed by Lagos at 18 per cent, Oyo and Imo at 9 per cent each, while 9 per cent said they prefer to stay in Abia.
In Anambra, 24 per cent preferred Abuja, 14 per cent each chose Lagos, Enugu and staying in Anambra, while 10 per cent chose Imo.
For Ebonyi, 36 per cent chose Abuja, 18 per cent each chose Lagos and Delta, 9 per cent chose Enugu, and 9 per cent opted to remain in Ebonyi.
Enugu is the only state where Lagos outranked Abuja, with 28 per cent preferring Lagos and 17 per cent preferring Abuja. Ekiti followed at 11 per cent, while Bayelsa and Abia recorded 6 per cent each.
Also, in Imo State, 28 per cent preferred Abuja, 16 per cent each chose Enugu and Akwa Ibom, 12 per cent chose Lagos, and 8 per cent said they would stay in Imo.
The figures showed that the proportion of respondents who prefer to remain in their home state is low, ranging from 8 per cent in Imo to 14 per cent in Anambra.
The report also highlighted movement within the Southeast and to the South-South, with Enugu featuring as a preferred destination for Imo and Anambra residents, while Delta and Akwa Ibom featured for Ebonyi and Imo.
South-west states including Lagos, Oyo and Ekiti appeared among the top choices across the zone.