States of Nigeria

Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, each of which is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares power with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In addition to the states, there is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in which the capital city of Abuja is located. The FCT is not a state, but a territory of the federal government, governed by an administration headed by a minister. Each state is subdivided into local government areas (LGAs). There are 774 local governments in Nigeria. Under the Nigerian Constitution, the 36 states enjoy substantial autonomy but are not sovereign entities, as ultimate authority lies with the federal government. Amendments to the constitution can be proposed by the National Assembly, but for an amendment to be valid, it must be approved by a two-third majority of the 36 state legislatures, as required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

Current states and the Federal Capital Territory

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ States of Nigeria

|-style=line-height:1.3

!scope="col" rowspan=2| Name

!scope="col" rowspan=2|ISO 3166-2 code

!scope="col" class="unsortable" rowspan=2| Seal

!scope="col" class="unsortable" rowspan=2| Location

!scope="col" colspan=2| City

!scope="col" rowspan=2| Geopolitical zone

!scope="col" rowspan=2| Area

!scope="col" rowspan=2| Population (2019 estimate)

!scope="col" rowspan=2| Density (pop/km²)

!scope="col"|Capital

!scope="col"|Largest

!scope="row"|Abia

|AB

|50px

|80px

|Umuahia

|Aba

|South East

|3,841,943

|607

!scope="row"|Adamawa

|AD

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Yola

|North East

|4,536,948

|123

!scope="row"|Akwa Ibom

|AK

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Uyo

|South South

|4,780,581

|675

!scope="row"|Anambra

|AN

|80px

|Awka

|Onitsha

|South East

|5,599,910

|1,157

!scope="row"|Bauchi

|BA

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Bauchi

|North East

|7,540,663

|164

!scope="row"|Bayelsa

|BY

|80px

|colspan=2|Yenagoa

|South South

|2,394,725

|222

!scope="row"|Benue

|BE

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Makurdi

|North Central

|5,787,706

|170

!scope="row"|Borno

|BO

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Maiduguri

|North East

|5,751,590

|81

!scope="row"|Cross River

|CR

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Calabar

|South South

|4,175,020

|207

!scope="row"|Delta

|DE

|80px

|colspan=2|Asaba

|South South

|5,307,543

|300

!scope="row"|Ebonyi

|EB

|80px

|colspan=2|Abakaliki

|South East

|3,007,155

|470

!scope="row"|Edo

|ED

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Benin City

|South South

|4,461,137

|228

!scope="row"|Ekiti

|EK

|80px

|colspan=2|Ado Ekiti

|South West

|3,350,401

|528

!scope="row"|Enugu

|EN

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Enugu

|South East

|4,396,098

|334

!scope="row"|Federal Capital Territory

|FC

|80x80px

|colspan=2|Abuja

|North Central

|1,406,239

|192

!scope="row"|Gombe

|GO

|80px

|colspan=2|Gombe

|North East

|3,623,462

|193

!scope="row"|Imo

|IM

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Owerri

|South East

|5,167,722

|935

!scope="row"|Jigawa

|JI

|80px

|colspan=2|Dutse

|North West

|6,779,080

|293

!scope="row"|Kaduna

|KD

|80px

|colspan=2|Kaduna

|North West

|8,324,285

|181

!scope="row"|Kano

|KN

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Kano

|North West

|14,253,549

|708

!scope="row"|Katsina

|KT

|80px

|colspan=2|Katsina

|North West

|9,300,382

|384

!scope="row"|Kebbi

|KE

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Birnin Kebbi

|North West

|5,001,610

|136

!scope="row"|Kogi

|KO

|80px

|colspan=2|Lokoja

|North Central

|4,153,734

|139

!scope="row"|Kwara

|KW

|80px

|colspan=2|Ilorin

|North Central

|3,259,613

|89

!scope="row"|Lagos

|LA

|50px

|80px

|Ikeja

|Lagos

|South West

|12,772,884

|3572

!scope="row"|Nasarawa

|NA

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Lafia

|North Central

|2,632,239

|100

!scope="row"|Niger

|NI

|80px

|colspan=2|Minna

|North Central

|6,220,617

|81

!scope="row"|Ogun

|OG

|80px

|colspan=2|Abeokuta

|South West

|5,945,275

|350

!scope="row"|Ondo

|ON

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Akure

|South West

|4,969,707

|321

!scope="row"|Osun

|OS

|80px

|colspan=2|Osogbo

|South West

|4,237,396

|458

!scope="row"|Oyo

|OY

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Ibadan

|South West

|7,512,855

|264

!scope="row"|Plateau

|PL

| 50x50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Jos

|North Central

|4,400,974

|142

!scope="row"|Rivers

|RI

|80px

|colspan=2|Port Harcourt

|South South

|7,034,973

|635

!scope="row"|Sokoto

|SO

|80px

|colspan=2|Sokoto

|North West

|5,863,187

|226

!scope="row"|Taraba

|TA

|80px

|colspan=2|Jalingo

|North East

|3,331,885

|61

!scope="row"|Yobe

|YO

|50px

|80px

|Damaturu

|Potiskum

|North East

|3,398,177

|75

!scope="row"|Zamfara

|ZA

|50px

|80px

|colspan=2|Gusau

|North West

|5,317,793

|134

Evolution of Nigerian administrative divisions

{| class="wikitable"

! Date !! Events !! Map

| 1960–1963|| At the time of independence in 1960, Nigeria was a federal state of three regions: Northern, Western, and Eastern. Additionally, provinces, which were a legacy of colonial and protectorate times, remained extant until they were abolished in 1976.|| 300px|right

| 1963–1967|| In 1963, a new region, the Mid-Western Region, was created from the Western Region.

|| 300px|right

| 1967–1976|| In 1967, the regions were replaced by 12 states by military decree. From 1967 to 1970 the Eastern Region attempted to secede, as a nation called Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. The Mid-Western Region was renamed to the State of Bendel during this period. || 300px|right

| 1976–1987|| In 1976, seven new states were created, making 19 altogether.|| 300px|right

| 1987–1991|| During this period, there were 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory. || 300px|right

| 1991–1996|| During this period, there were 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The Federal Capital Territory was established in 1991. In 1987 two new states were established, followed by another nine in 1991, bringing the total to 30. The latest change, in 1996, resulted in the present number of 36 states. || 300px|right

Government

States of Nigeria have the right to organize and structure their individual governments in any way within the parameters set by the Constitution of Nigeria.

Legislature

At the state level, the legislature is unicameral, with the number of its members equal to three times the number of legislators it has in the Federal House of Representatives. It has the power to legislate on matters on the concurrent list.

Executive

At the state level, the head of the executive is the governor, who has the power to appoint people to the state executive council, subject to the advice and consent of the state house of assembly (legislature). The head of a ministry at the state level is the commissioner, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, who is also a senior civil servant of the state.

Judiciary

The Judiciary is one of the co-equal arms of the state government concerned with the interpretation of the laws of the state government. The judiciary is headed by the chief justice of the state appointed by the governor subject to the approval of the state house of assembly.

Chronology

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"

!colspan=2|Regions

!colspan=5|States

|style="width:6em"|1960

|style="width:6em"|1963

|style="width:6em"|1967

|style="width:6em"|1976

|style="width:6em"|1987

|style="width:6em"|1991

|style="width:6em"|1996

|rowspan=9 colspan=2|Eastern

|rowspan=2 colspan=1|South-Eastern

|rowspan=2 colspan=1|Cross River

|colspan=3|Akwa Ibom

|colspan=3|Cross River

|rowspan=5|East Central

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Imo

|colspan=2|Imo

|colspan=2|Abia

|rowspan=3 colspan=2|Anambra

|rowspan=2|Enugu

|rowspan=1|Ebonyi

|Enugu

|colspan=2|Anambra

|rowspan=2 colspan=4|Rivers

|Bayelsa

|Rivers

|rowspan=8|Western

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Mid-Western

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Bendel

|colspan=2|Delta

|colspan=2|Edo

|rowspan=6|Western

|colspan=5|Lagos

|rowspan=5|Western

|colspan=4|Ogun

|rowspan=2 colspan=3|Ondo

|Ekiti

|Ondo

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Oyo

|colspan=2|Osun

|colspan=2|Oyo

|rowspan=20 colspan=2|Northern

|rowspan=4|Benue-Plateau

|rowspan=2 colspan=3|Plateau

|Nasarawa

|Plateau

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Benue

|colspan=2|Benue

|colspan=2 rowspan=2|Kogi

|rowspan=2 colspan=3|Kwara

|colspan=2 |Kwara

|rowspan=2 colspan=3|Kano

|colspan=2|Jigawa

|colspan=2|Kano

|rowspan=2|North Central

|rowspan=2 colspan=1|Kaduna

|colspan=3|Kaduna

|colspan=3|Katsina

|rowspan=4|North Western

|colspan=4|Niger

|rowspan=3 colspan=2|Sokoto

|colspan=2|Kebbi

|rowspan=2|Sokoto

|Sokoto

|Zamfara

|rowspan=6|North Eastern

|rowspan=2 colspan=3|Bauchi

|Bauchi

|Gombe

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Borno

|colspan=2|Borno

|colspan=2|Yobe

|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Gongola

|colspan=2|Adamawa

|colspan=2|Taraba

Notes

Sources

External links

Headline News in Nigeria States

States And Capital In Nigeria, Their Slogans & Current Governors A comprehensive list of all states in Nigeria and their current governors.

Current states and the Federal Capital Territory

Evolution of Nigerian administrative divisions

Government

Legislature

Executive

Judiciary

Chronology

See also

Notes

Sources

External links