States' share of Nigeria's public debt has dropped from 20.5% in 2019 to 8.5% in 2024, while the federal government’s debt has risen to over 91% of the total, in dollar terms.
The FG's debt grew from $66.7 billion to $83.6 billion in this period, while the states' debt dropped from $17.2 billion in 2019 to $7.8 billion, marking a shift in borrowing dynamics at federal and state levels.
Notably, states and FCT debt decreased in dollar terms but increased in naira terms, while FG debt rose in both dollar and naira terms over the same period.
Lagos led Nigerian states with ₦815.9 billion in Internally Generated Revenue for 2023, followed by the FCT with ₦211.1 billion.
Despite only a 25% growth, Lagos’ IGR confirms its economic dominance. The FCT, meanwhile, recorded an impressive 70% increase.
Ebonyi, though with lower revenue, achieved an astonishing 148% growth.
Taraba generated the least revenue, increasing by 6%.
In 2022, employees in Lagos, Rivers, and the FCT contributed ₦558.7 billion in PAYE tax, representing over half of the nation's total.
Lagos State alone accounted for ₦360.9 billion.
These figures underscore the tax contributions from Nigeria's key economic regions.
Lagos State led Nigeria’s 2022 PAYE tax collections, surpassing the total of 32 other states combined.
PAYE, a tax on employees’ income, saw Lagos contributing 36%, far ahead of Rivers State (11%) and the FCT (∼9%).
This highlights the economic disparity across states.
How much more debt did Nigerian states add to their existing domestic debt in 2023?
Nigerian states' domestic debt increased by 9.8% in 2023, with 20 states and the FCT contributing to this increase. Lagos State recorded the biggest jump in domestic debt with ₦241.5b added.
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