In 2023, a report on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in Nigerian states highlighted Kaduna as the only state from the northern region to break into the top 10, bringing in ₦62.49 billion, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.
While poorest IGR states in 2023 is dominated by Northern states, Kaduna’s feat underscores its rising economic influence in an area historically overshadowed by southern states in IGR performance.
Leading the chart, Lagos State unsurprisingly retained its top spot with a staggering ₦815.86 billion—almost four times the revenue of the second place, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which recorded ₦211.1 billion.
Rivers State followed closely, with ₦195.41 billion, and Ogun State was the fourth-highest, generating ₦146.88 billion.
Delta State rounded out the top five with ₦114.09 billion, showing that the South-South and South-West regions still dominate Nigeria’s IGR landscape.
Beyond Kaduna’s standout position, the data reveals a broader trend: states in southern Nigeria largely lead in IGR, pointing to a high concentration of economic activities and investments in these areas. No thanks to the rising terrorism in most part of the North.
Ogun, for example, benefits from its proximity to Lagos, while Rivers has leveraged its oil wealth to boost its economy.
In terms of revenue figures, the following is the breakdown of the top 10 IGR-generating states for 2023:
Lagos: ₦815.86 billion
FCT: ₦211.1 billion
Rivers: ₦195.41 billion
Ogun: ₦146.88 billion
Delta: ₦114.09 billion
Edo: ₦64.67 billion
Kaduna: ₦62.49 billion
Kwara: ₦59.64 billion
Oyo: ₦52.75 billion
Akwa Ibom: ₦43.18 billion
This list not only reveals regional disparities in Nigeria’s revenue generation capabilities but also signals where economic policies and development initiatives are making significant impacts.
Kaduna’s presence in the top 10 highlights ongoing efforts by Northern states to diversify their revenue bases, but banditry remains an issue.
As the country moves toward revenue diversification, particularly in light of fluctuating oil revenues, the strides made by Kaduna and other top-performing states can serve as a model for enhancing economic resilience and sustainable growth across Nigeria.
