Lagos leads VAT remittance with ₦305B, over 53% of total and more than 3x Rivers'

Key Takeaways

  • Lagos State contributed ₦305B in VAT, making up over 53% of the national total and more than three times that of any other state.
  • Rivers (₦90B) and Oyo (₦27B) followed Lagos as the second and third highest contributors, highlighting a steep drop after the top state.
  • Only a few states, including Bayelsa, Kano, Kwara, and Edo, remitted above ₦5B, showing a highly uneven distribution of VAT contributions.
  • Over 8 states, such as Kebbi, Osun, Imo, and Zamfara, contributed less than ₦2B each, indicating minimal VAT activity in many parts of the country.

In January 2025, Lagos State remitted a staggering ₦305 billion in VAT, over 53% of the national total and more than three times the ₦90 billion contributed by Rivers, the second‑highest state. Oyo was the third-highest contributor with ₦27 billion. These three states together generated nearly three‑quarters of Nigeria’s entire VAT yield, underscoring their outsized economic weight. Mid‑tier contributors such as Bayelsa (₦12.8 billion), Kano and Kwara (₦9.5 billion each), and Edo (₦5 billion) remitted less than half of Oyo’s contribution, revealing a steep drop‑off.

At the bottom tier, more than eight states each contributed under ₦2 billion, including Kebbi (₦1.9 billion), Ondo (₦0.9 billion), Imo (₦1.5 billion), Taraba (₦0.9 billion), and Zamfara (₦1.4 billion). Together, they accounted for only a few percent of the total, highlighting profound regional disparities in VAT collection.

Source:

Federal account allocation committee (FAAC)

Period:

January 2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Over 1 million Nigerian students applied for loans; 52% for Institutional loans, 48% for Upkeep loans
  • Institutional loans lead slightly, with 552,009 applications, showing a strong need for tuition and direct school-related expenses.
  • Upkeep loans are not far behind, at 519,964 applications, highlighting the importance of financial support beyond school fees.
  • Combined, over 1 million applications reveal a large and growing demand for structured educational funding in Nigeria.
  • The close margin suggests dual pressure: students aren’t just struggling to pay fees, but also to survive the cost of schooling.
Student loan applications peaked in August 2024 with over 91,000 submissions, the highest in a single month
  • Student loan applications peaked sharply in August 2024 with 91K submissions, marking the highest monthly volume within the 13-month period.
  • After August’s spike, applications declined steeply, hitting a low of 18K in December 2024.
  • A resurgence began in January 2025, leading to a second wave of activity that reached 59K applications in April 2025, the second-highest month.
  • Monthly application volumes remained volatile, reflecting fluctuating demand and possible cycles tied to academic calendars or policy updates.
University students dominate NELFUND applications, making up 90% as of May 2025
  • University students filed 497,000 loan applications, accounting for a staggering 90.1% of all institutional submissions.
  • College of education students submitted just 34,000 applications, making up only 6.2% of the total pool.
  • Polytechnics trailed with 21,000 applications, contributing 3.7% to the national tally.
  • Out of every 10 students applying for a loan, 9 are university students, underscoring their dominance in demand.
Northern Nigeria leads student loan demand with over 170,000 applications from its top 10 institutions
  • University of Maiduguri leads with 31,770 applications, indicating a significant demand for student loans in the North East.
  • North West institutions dominate the list, with five universities (Bayero University Kano, Federal University Dutsinma Katsina, Ahmadu Bello University, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and Umaru Musa Yar'adua University) collectively accounting for a substantial portion of applications.
  • North Central is represented by University of Jos and University of Ilorin, highlighting the region's active participation in the student loan programme.
  • Federal University, Kashere's presence underscores the North East's engagement, with two institutions in the top 10.
  • All listed universities received over 11,000 applications, reflecting widespread awareness and utilization of the student loan initiative across these regions.
Male students account for 68% of the 552,009 Nigerian education loan applicants as of May 2025
  • Male applicants dominate the Nigerian student loan landscape with 374,946 accounts, representing 68% of total applications.
  • Female applicants trail behind at 177,063, contributing just 32% to the total loan accounts.
  • For every 10 students who applied, approximately 7 are male and 3 are female.
  • The gender gap in student loan uptake is 197,883, with males nearly double the number of female applicants.
More than half of the Nigerian student loan applications came from the North, with the North West leading at 167,000
  • With 167,639 applications, the North West zone accounts for the highest number of student loan submissions, representing a significant concentration of demand in that region.
  • The North East follows with 134,359 applications, bringing the northern region's combined total to over 300,000, more than half of all zonal submissions.
  • The South West stands as the highest-contributing southern zone with 104,079 applications, showing a strong but comparatively lower demand than the North.
  • The South East recorded just 29,097 applications, the lowest across all six geopolitical zones.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved