Kano State has the highest number of LGAs in Nigeria, with 44, far exceeding the national average of 21 LGAs per state.
Bayelsa, Nasarawa, and the FCT have the fewest LGAs, recording 8, 13, and 6 respectively, despite varying population sizes and landmass.
Northern states dominate the upper tier of the LGA count, with Katsina (34), Oyo (33), and Jigawa (27) all ranking among the top.
Southern states tend to have fewer LGAs, with Lagos and Ogun, two highly urbanised states, having just 20 LGAs each, hinting at a denser governance structure per area.
Lagos had the highest female representation in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, with 114 female candidates, more than any other state.
Yobe recorded the lowest, with just 7 female candidates, highlighting a wide disparity in representation across regions.
The South East and South South zones recorded some of the strongest numbers overall, with Imo (86) and Rivers (85) nearly matching Lagos.
The South West led overall in female candidate numbers, while the North East trailed, with its highest (Gombe – 42) still lower than other zones’ peaks.
28 total operational free zones span across 13 states plus the FCT, highlighting a broad but uneven distribution.
Lagos hosts 12 zones, over 40% of Nigeria’s total, making it the clear leader.
Ogun State ranks second with 3 zones, followed by Rivers with 2, while other states have just 1 each.
This distribution underscores a heavy clustering in the Southwest, reflecting Lagos’ dominance as a commercial hub and a drive to spread investment across various regions.
