Kano leads all Nigerian states with 44 LGAs; FCT, Bayelsa, and Nasarawa have the fewest with 6, 8, and 13 respectively

Key Takeaways

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.

Nigeria’s 774 LGAs are unevenly distributed across the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Kano stands out at the top with 44 LGAs, reflecting its deep administrative segmentation. In contrast, FCT, Bayelsa, and Nasarawa fall at the bottom with 6, 8, and 13 LGAs respectively—despite their distinct regional roles.

There’s a clear pattern: states in the North generally have more LGAs, which may be influenced by landmass, historical factors, and the need for closer local governance. Southern states, particularly in the South West and South South, tend to have fewer LGAs, even in densely populated areas like Lagos. This distribution paints a nuanced picture of Nigeria’s administrative framework, revealing how governance structures differ across the country.

Source:

Nigerian Queries

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://intelpoint.co/insights/kano-leads-all-nigerian-states-with-44-lgas-fct-bayelsa-and-nasarawa-have-the-fewest-with-6-8-and-13-respectively/" title="Kano leads all Nigerian states with 44 LGAs; FCT, Bayelsa, and Nasarawa have the fewest with 6, 8, and 13 respectively"><img src="https://intelpoint.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Intelpoint_Grey-36-scaled.webp" style="width: 80%; height: auto; max-width:960px;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; margin: 0 auto; display: block;" alt="Chart: Kano leads all Nigerian states with 44 LGAs; FCT, Bayelsa, and Nasarawa have the fewest with 6, 8, and 13 respectively"/></a><br><span>Find more insights at <a href="https://intelpoint.co/insights?utm_source=Insight%20Embed&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=Kano+leads+all+Nigerian+states+with+44+LGAs%3B+FCT%2C+Bayelsa%2C+and+Nasarawa+have+the+fewest+with+6%2C+8%2C+and+13+respectively" target="_blank" style="color: #4f9acc; text-decoration: none;">Intelpoint</a>.</span></div>Copied to clipboard!

Period:

2025

HTML code to embed chart

Want a bespoke report?

Reach out

Related Insights

Borno records lowest domestic debt in North-East Nigeria at ₦22.3 billion in Q2 2025

The six North-Eastern states collectively owe around ₦450 billion in domestic debt as of Q2 2025.
Borno State maintains the lowest debt in the region at ₦22.3 billion, showing signs of controlled borrowing amid post-conflict rebuilding.
Bauchi State has the highest domestic debt burden of ₦143.6 billion, accounting for about 31% of the region’s total.
The top three states, Bauchi, Taraba and Gombe, collectively account for more than two-thirds of the zone’s total subnational debt stock.

In just six months, Nigeria spent over $2.3 billion servicing external debts

Nigeria paid $816.3 million to the International Monetary Fund, accounting for over 35% of total external debt service payments.
Eurobond payments followed closely, with $687.8 million paid, reflecting Nigeria’s heavy reliance on commercial debt instruments.
Multilateral lenders like IDA and AfDB collectively received about $463 million, signalling continued exposure to concessional financing.
China’s share shrinking: Payments to Chinese lenders (EXIM + CDB) totalled $235.6 million, less than 11% of total outflows, suggesting reduced Chinese debt servicing in H1 2025.

Over 60% of Nigeria’s ₦1.7 trillion domestic debt service in Q2 2025 was spent on Federal Government Bonds

FGN bonds dominated: ₦1.07 trillion went to Federal Government Bonds, accounting for about 63% of total domestic debt servicing.
Treasury bills followed: Payments on NTBs reached ₦537.9 billion, making up roughly 31% of the total.
Sukuk and promissory notes together cost ₦90.8 billion, reflecting Nigeria’s mix of infrastructure and settlement instruments.
Green and savings bonds remained minimal, together below ₦5 billion, showing limited traction for retail and sustainability-focused debt.

93% of Nigeria's public debt is owed by the Federal Government

The Federal Government’s share of total public debt rose from 79.5% in 2019 to 92.6% in 2025.
States’ share has more than halved, from 20.5% to 7.4% in six years.
Total public debt grew from $83.9 billion to $99.7 billion, peaking at $113.4 billion in 2023.
Nigeria’s debt burden is increasingly concentrated at the centre, amplifying federal repayment risks and reducing fiscal independence for states.

Over 60% of Nigerians use crypto for savings and long-term investing

Wealth-building dominates motivation: 45.4% cite “active wealth building” as their primary motive, and an additional 21.8% cite “long-term financial security”.
Payments and utility are minor drivers: Only 3.3% report “daily utility” and 2.2% “digital commerce” as their chief motive for using crypto.
Hedging and cross-border flows matter: 8.7% use crypto for currency hedging, and 4.1% for cross-border payments, showing a dual role of investment plus international value flows.
Nigerian retail users treat crypto like a conventional financial instrument rather than only as a means of payment or speculation.

Over 65% of surveyed Nigerian crypto users transact below ₦50,000; less than 3% move above ₦1 million

Nearly two-thirds (67%) of all crypto transactions in Nigeria are below ₦50,000, reflecting widespread use among everyday retail users.
The ₦15,000–₦25,000 band (28.2%) is the single largest group, showing consistent, small-scale engagement rather than high-value speculation.
Around 25% of users transact between ₦50,000 and ₦250,000, suggesting a growing middle class of more confident, mid-level investors.
Less than 3% of users transact above ₦1 million, confirming that Nigeria’s crypto market remains primarily retail-driven, not institutional or high-net-worth.