Nigeria’s internally generated revenue (IGR) rose to ₦3.63 trillion in 2024, according to data compiled from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). However, a closer look at the IGR per capita figures, the amount generated by each state relative to its population, shows a growing disparity in fiscal capacity across the federation.
While Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Rivers State continued to dominate in overall revenue, the per capita breakdown reveals vast inequality between states, with some subnational economies generating over 100 times more per resident than others.
Lagos maintained its top position in both total IGR and per capita earnings. The state generated ₦1.26 trillion in 2024, accounting for over one-third of Nigeria’s total subnational revenue, translating to ₦79,983 per resident. The FCT followed with ₦282.36 billion and a per capita IGR of ₦58,796, driven by its dense concentration of formal businesses and federal institutions.
Rivers State ranked second in total IGR with ₦317.30 billion and third in per capita with ₦43,857. Despite being one of Nigeria’s largest oil-producing states, its per capita yield is moderated by its sizable population and revenue dependence on extractive sectors.
Southern states outperform the North in fiscal capacity
The 2024 IGR per capita figures show a clear dominance of southern states in fiscal productivity. Ogun ranked fourth nationally, generating ₦30,244 per resident from ₦194.93 billion total IGR. Delta followed closely at ₦25,834 per capita, while Bayelsa recorded ₦26,731 per person, reflecting the advantage of smaller populations within resource-rich economies.
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Enugu also stood out among the top performers with ₦33,450 per capita, supported by ₦180.50 billion in total revenue, making it one of the most efficient states in the South-East. Kwara, with ₦16,714 per capita, continued to outperform most northern peers, while Osun (₦12,925) and Cross River (₦11,262) maintained moderate performance levels. In contrast, most northern states generated less than ₦5,000 per resident, highlighting persistent regional imbalances.
Wide fiscal disparity across states
The 2024 data reveal an expanding gap between high-performing and low-performing states. Lagos’s ₦79,983 per capita dwarfs the national average and outpaces several states by more than 15 times. The next four highest, FCT (₦58,796), Rivers (₦43,857), Enugu (₦33,450), and Ogun (₦30,244), underline the concentration of revenue within Nigeria’s urban and industrial hubs.
Beyond this top tier, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo (₦17,662), and Kwara (₦16,714) round out the top nine per capita earners. The remaining 28 states recorded less than ₦13,000 per person.
At the bottom of the chart, Kebbi (₦2,828), Yobe (₦2,548), Benue (₦3,056), Sokoto (₦3,382), and Ebonyi (₦3,289) represent the weakest per capita performers, each below ₦4,000. Most of these states also reported among the lowest total IGR figures, under ₦25 billion annually.
Revenue concentration and demographic impact
The data show that population remains a defining factor in states’ per capita outcomes. States with smaller populations, such as Bayelsa and Enugu, recorded strong ratios despite moderate total revenues. Conversely, large-population states like Kano and Kaduna — with ₦74.77 billion and ₦71.57 billion in total IGR, respectively, posted only ₦4,600 and ₦8,598 per capita.
Oyo and Jigawa followed a similar trend, earning ₦8,690 and ₦8,519 per capita respectively. This demonstrates that while some populous states have growing revenue bases, population growth continues to outpace fiscal expansion.
Across the six geopolitical zones, the South-West remains the country’s most productive region in revenue generation per capita, led by Lagos, Ogun, and Osun. The South-South follows closely, anchored by Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa. The South-East, represented by Enugu and Anambra, also performed comparatively well.
In contrast, the North-East and North-West zones remain at the lower end of the scale. Taraba (₦4,031), Borno (₦4,180), Katsina (₦4,210), and Bauchi (₦4,300) all fall below ₦5,000 per resident. The North-Central zone, although mixed, benefits from Kwara’s relatively high ₦16,714 per capita and Nasarawa’s ₦7,026.
This regional breakdown mirrors the long-standing disparities in economic activity, infrastructure investment, and administrative efficiency across Nigeria’s subnational entities.
By: James Odunayo
The post RipplesMetrics: Lagos, FCT lead; Kebbi, Yobe behind as Nigeria’s IGR per capita widens inequality in 2024 (I) appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.