Nigeria’s poorest, richest, indebted states

The report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on 36 states’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has unmasked the financial strength of states, putting them in three categories – richest, middle class and poorest.

The report, released at the weekend, in addition to grading the states in terms of IGR, unearthed the level of debt stock of each of them and their collection from federation account in 2017. The Bureau put states’ total IGR in 2017 at N931.23 billion, a figure higher by over N100 billion compared to 2016 figure of N831.19 billion. The IGR of Lagos, Rivers, Ogun, Delta and Kano states is two-thirds of the total internal revenue generated by all the states in 2017.


In fact, the IGR of Lagos is more than that of 28 states combined. In addition, the NBS put the net federation revenue in 2017 at N1.73 trillion, while the total revenue available to states is put at N2.67 trillion.

The value of foreign debt stood at $19.9 billion (N4,083,406,802.03), while domestic debts hit N3.35 trillion at the end of 2017. From the analysis of the IGR, only five states – Lagos, Rivers, Ogun, Delta and Kano – can survive without the federal allocation. Sixteen of the states generate an average of N500 million monthly as IGR, which is less than 25 per cent of their monthly wage bill. Lagos State with IGR of N333.96 billion is the richest state, followed by Rivers with N89.48 billion.

Ogun State has N74.83 billion IGR, Delta N51.88 billion while Kano with N42.41 billion came next. Similarly, the poorest states going by the meagre IGI generated in 2017 are Yobe with least internal revenue of N3.59 billion, Bauchi N4.36 billion, Kebbi State N4.39 billion, Ekiti N4.96 billion and Borno N4.98 billion.

“The full year 2017 states’ IGR figure hits N931.23 billion compared to N831.19 billion recorded in year 2016. This indicates a growth of 12.03 per cent year-on-year. At the end of the second half of 2017, total revenue generated by states was put at N432.65 billion as against N409.09 billion in the first half.

“Thirty-one states recorded growth in IGR while five states, which include Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Osun and Taraba recorded a decline at the end of 2017 fiscal year,” NBS noted. However, further analysis of states with richest IGR, starting with Lagos, revealed that with IGR rake of N333.96 billion compared to 2016 figure of N302.42 billion and federation revenue collection of N89.694 billion, the state has the highest debt portfolios – foreign debt stock of $1.466 billion and local debt of N363.2 billion. Rivers State with an IGR of N89.484 billion, net federation allocation of N119. 6 billion has foreign debt portfolio of $66,766,028.40 and domestic debt of N191.156 billion in 2017.

Rivers receives 13 per cent derivation principle as an oil-producing state. The state’s finance is still in the negative when the total revenue is benchmarked with the debt burden. Also, Ogun State with IGR of N74.835 billion ranked one of the top richest revenue generating states. But the state is burdened with foreign debt of $107,449,174.80 and local debt of N106.530 billion.

It collected a federation allocation of N26.185 billion in 2017. Delta State ranked among top rich states in IGR with collection of N51.888 billion from federation account the sum of N111.203 billion in the year under review.

Its foreign loan portfolio stood at $58.391 million and domestic loan of N228.328 billion. In addition to its share from federation account, Delta, as one of the oil-producing states, collects 13 per cent derivation principle.

Yet, like others, the state is highly indebted. Listed by NBS as among the five richest states with a high IGR raking of N42.418 billion, Kano State collected N65,140,059,241.98 from federation account in 2017.

The state also has one of the highest debt portfolios. Its foreign debt in 2017 fiscal year stood at $66.534 million and domestic debt of N92.257 billion. According to the NBS report, while Yobe’s IGR stood at N3,598,131,936.59 in 2017, its share of federation allocation during the year was N39,493,537,224.68, while the state is burdened with foreign debt of $29.5 million and domestic debt stock of N26,467,942,394.82.

Bauchi also ranked in states ranked as poorest in terms of IGR, raking a paltry N4,369,411,450.27 for 2017, while the state got N39,515,179,181.38 as federal allocation.

Bauchi has a foreign debt stock of $109,828,381 and local debt of N74,020,717,883.30. Kebbi’s IGR was N4,393,773,965.39 in 2017, the state’s share of federation revenue was N4,393,773,965.39, while its foreign debt stood at $47,820,060 and local debt of N48,729,499,853.64. Ranked among top five poorest states, Ekiti generated N4,967,499,815.79 in 2017.

It collected N25,633,665,721 from federation purse. The state has foreign debt overhang of $78,053,560 and domestic debt stock of N117,495,679,340.86. The Boko Haram-ravaged Borno State generated N4,983,331,049.24 as IGR in 2017 and received federal allocation of N46,535,736,179.12, but incurred foreign debt of $22,594,569.70 and local debt of N54,042,067,995.82 Edo State generated N25,342,829,212.22 as IGR, collected federation revenue of N36,844,999,470.24, incurred foreign debt of $232,204,508 and domestic debt N68,514,312,630.61. Enugu IGR in 2017 was N22,039,222,902.86, federation allocation N37,833,557,959.83, foreign debt of $133,109,101; and local debt of N59,746,077,051.15. In Abia, the state generated N14,917,141,805.80 as IGR, got federation revenue of N38,876,702,908.70.

It has foreign debt stock of $101,486,014 and local debt component of N60,648,431,912.05. Adamawa generated N6,201,369,567.23 IGR in 2017, collected N37,436,462,193.81 as its share of revenue from federation account, but has a foreign debt of $94,574,331.40 and domestic debt of N69,609,083,183.53.

The oil-rich Akwa Ibom State generated N15,956,354,035.30 as IGR, received net FAAC allocation of N143,614,945,782.83 with foreign debt stock of $50,523,477 and domestic component of N187,277,308,914.29. Anambra’s IGR was N17,365,385,830.51 in 2017, federation revenue collection N41,338,238,321.08, foreign debt of $85,924,045 and local N2,612,431,503.89. Bayelsa generated internal revenue of N12,523,812,450.59 in 2017, got federation allocation of N105,258,243,351.38 while its foreign debt stood at $47,769,180 and local debt at N129,469,645,258.94.

For Benue State, the IGR in 2017 was N12,399,414,557.79, federation revenue of N39,801,371,551.26. It has foreign debt of $35,503,110 and domestic debt of N74,937,383,496.72. Cross River State’s IGR was N18,104,562,225.62 in 2017, federation revenue N23,451,782,733.00 with foreign debt stock of $167,922,477 and local debt of N125,648,705,542.50.

Ebonyi State generated N5,102,902,366.82 IGR in 2017, its portion of federation revenue was N35,490,890,739.38, foreign debt $63,373,675 while local debt was put at N34,613,143,814.14.

The state improved in its IGR as it generated N2,342,092,225.07 in 2016. Gombe realised N5,272,273,408.28 as IGR, collected N31,232,979,502.22 as its portion of federal allocation, incurred foreign debt to the tune of $39,194,159 and domestic debt of N41,939,190,055.5. Imo State netted IGR of N6,850,796,866.07, collected federation revenue sum of N38,116,470,854.23, foreign debt of $62,848,235 and domestic debt of N80,785,160,471.66.

Jigawa State’s IGR was N6,650,200,980.11, revenue from federation account N45,264,749,165.00, foreign debt $33,497,712.80 and local debt N33,269,858,797.75. Kaduna with IGR of N26,530,562,880.89, federal allocation N50,807,097,529.87 and foreign debt of $238,279,090, while domestic debt stood at N83,825,686,332.40. Katsina had IGR of N6,029,850,857.76, federal allocation of N46,339,868,732.24, external debt sum of $67,864,608 and domestic debt of N31,116,244,034.12. Kogi State’s IGR was N11,244,260,974.75, federal allocation of N39,646,840,921.9, for-ign loan of $33,030,039 and domestic loan of N102,359,193,069.66. Kwara State had IGR of N19,637,873,512.22 in 2017, federal allocation of N33,107,193,728.78, foreign debt stood at $50,726,593, while its domestic debt stood at N40,264,714,626.56. Nassarawa’s IGR stood at N6,174,136,952.59, federal allocation N35,197,763,035.01, external debt $62,878,628 and domestic debt N71,359,977,984.75. For Niger State, it realised IGR of N6,517,939,033.07, received N42,473,678,019.42 from federation purse, incurred foreign debt in the sum of $56,822,602 and domestic debt of N40,031,508,233.85.

Ondo, one of the oilproducing states, realised N10,927,871,479.76 as IGR, collected federation revenue of N45,897,247,825.41. But it has $50,251,762 as external debt and N58,550,792,418.38 as local debt. For Osun State, its IGR in 2017 was N6,486,524,226.45; federation revenue N10,436,789,071.79; foreign debt $96,607,386, while local debt stood at N138,239,593,287.18 in 2017. Oyo’s IGR was N22,448,338,824.6 1 , federation revenue N44,473,339,482.90, foreign debt $93,218,640 and local debt was N129,213,604,205.51. Plateau State’s IGR was N10,788,283,409.45, federation revenue N29,620,161,161.72, foreign debt $30,071,777 and local debt of N122,349,286,591.51.

Sokoto is one of the states with improved IGR. Unlike in 2016 when the IGR was N4,545,765,527.76, the state generated N9,018,844,307.29 in 2017. It received N41,243,655,071.76 as federation revenue, while foreign debt stood at $41,161,222.60 with a domestic debt of N26,028,103,448.98. For Taraba, the IGR was N5,764,251,233.85, federation revenue N33,922,215,995.69, foreign debt of $26,563,235 and domestic debt stood at N60,851,260,638.76. Zamfara’s IGR was N6,023,994,930.94 in 2017, federation revenue of N28,452,828,222.31, foreign debt stood at $34,833,759 and domestic debt was 69,923,231,483.13.     (New Telegraph )