The South West is the only region with MSMEs in earning above ₦100 million monthly in revenue

Key Takeaways

  • The South West is the only region with MSMEs reporting revenues above ₦100 million, accounting for 100% of that bracket.
  • While high-revenue firms cluster in the South West, the South South leads in the ₦10M–₦99.9M range, with over 50.8% share.
  • The North Central (30.3%) has the highest share of MSMEs earning less than ₦100,000 monthly, followed by the North East (19.6%).
  • The ₦200K–₦999.9K range is more evenly spread across regions, but the South West and South South consistently record stronger representation.

The regional breakdown of MSME revenues in Nigeria reveals striking disparities. At the very top, the South West is unmatched. It is the only region with businesses earning above ₦100 million monthly, holding 100% of this elite category. This underscores the region’s dominance as Nigeria’s financial and commercial hub.

In contrast, the South South leads in the ₦10M–₦99.9M revenue range, accounting for more than half of all MSMEs in this bracket, while the South East shows strength in the mid-level categories such as ₦200K–₦499.9K. The northern regions, particularly the North Central and North East, are far more concentrated at the lower end, with a significant share of MSMEs generating less than ₦100,000 monthly.

Source:

Intelpoint report: MSMEs in Nigeria Business finance, revenue and support, among others

Period:

2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

Lagos State generated the vast majority of Nigeria's IGR at ₦1.3 trillion, accounting for over 35% of the ₦3.7 trillion total IGR
  • Nigeria’s total IGR in 2024 was ₦3.7 trillion.
  • Lagos State generated ₦1.3 trillion, accounting for over 35% of the national IGR.
  • Rivers State (₦317.3 billion) and the FCT, Abuja (₦282.4 billion) ranked second and third, respectively.
  • The South West led regionally with ₦1.7 trillion in total IGR.
  • The North East recorded the lowest regional IGR at ₦129.8 billion.
  • Economic disparity between regions remains wide, with Lagos alone outpacing entire regions.

Nigeria’s South East region is the only one where MDAs' revenue (60.9%) exceeded Total Tax Revenue (39.10%) in 2024
  • The South East is the only region where the revenue of MDAs (60.9%) exceeded tax revenue (39.1%).
  • Other regions relied more heavily on tax revenue, with the South South leading at 85.25%.
  • The North East and North Central followed closely, with tax contributions of 79.9% and 79.15%, respectively.
  • The South West generated 75.04% of its IGR from taxes, indicating a strong formal revenue structure.
  • The North West maintained a more balanced mix, with 58.54% tax and 41.46% MDAs’ revenue.

Nigeria’s public debt has soared since 2010, with domestic debt up 2,020% and external debt up 1,000% by mid 2025
  • Nigeria’s domestic debt jumped from ₦3.8 trillion in 2010 to ₦80.55 trillion by mid-2025.
  • Foreign debts increased from $4.27 billion in 2010 to $46.98 billion in 2025, reflecting growing reliance on external financing.
  • Debt accumulation surged notably after 2020, coinciding with pandemic spending, naira depreciation, and higher fiscal deficits.
  • The widening gap between revenue and debt service raises questions about Nigeria’s long-term debt sustainability.

Lagos and Rivers have dominated Nigeria’s revenue rankings since 2008
  • A total of ₦20.45 trillion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has been recorded nationwide since 2008.
  • Lagos State generated ₦1.26 trillion in 2024, maintaining its position as the top revenue-generating state.
  • For five consecutive years, Yobe and Taraba have consistently ranked among the bottom five states in revenue generation.
  • FCT IGR records began in 2018.
  • Enugu State recorded a remarkable 433.03% year-on-year increase in 2024.
  • Ebonyi (–57.27%), Ondo (–24.70%), and Yobe (–0.99%) were the only states that experienced a decline in IGR in 2024.

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.

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