Poorest States In Nigeria Revealed!

Sokoto State remained the poorest state in Nigeria at the end of 2012. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, it has 81.2% poverty rate.

According to the information posted on the bureau’s website, the Nigerian states that have over 70% poverty rate include:

Katsina – 74.5%

Adamawa – 74.2%

Gombe – 74.2 %

Jigawa – 74.1%

Plateau – 74.1%

Ebonyi – 73.6%

Bauchi – 73%

Kebbi – 72%

Zamfara – 70.8%


Niger is the state with the lowest poverty rate which is 33.8%. It was followed by Osun (37.9%) and Ondo (45.7%). Bayelsa (47%) and Lagos (48.6%) have less than 50% poverty rate.

The average poverty rate in the Northwest geopolitical zone is 71.4%, which remained the highest in the said area. It is followed by the Northeast region which has 69.1% and the North central region which has 60.7%. Poverty was least dominant in the Southwest (49.8%), South-South (55.5%), and South-East regions (59.5%).

According to NBS, the national unemployment rate at the beginning of 2012 was 23.9%. Statistician-General Yemi Kale said that 112.519 million Nigerians (69%)lived in poverty conditions.

Zamfara State had the highest unemployment rate which is 42.6%. It was followed by Bauchi (41.4%). Other states that had above 30% unemployment rates include:

Gombe – 38.7%

Nassarawa – 36.5%

Jigawa – 35.9%

Edo – 35.2%

Adamawa – 33.8%

Kaduna – 30.3%


Unemployment rate in Osun was the lowest. It was followed by Kwara and Lagos.
2 years ago