Lagos State maintained its formidable lead over Nigeria’s subnational fiscal landscape in 2025, single-handedly accounting for more than one-third of the country’s internally generated revenue.
According to newly released data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) pulled in a combined N5.15 trillion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2025, marking a robust 40.93 per cent jump from the N3.65 trillion recorded in 2024.
Of that total, Lagos raked in N1.77 trillion, translating to roughly N34 out of every N100 generated internally across the entire country.
Lagos’ massive haul comprised N1.48 trillion in tax revenue and N292.64 billion from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Rivers State secured second place with N428.42 billion, followed closely by Enugu State in third position with N406.77 billion. Together, this powerhouse trio of Lagos, Rivers, and Enugu generated a staggering N2.60 trillion, accounting for just over half of the entire nation’s subnational revenue.
Rounding out the top tier of collection were:
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FCT: N356.34 billion
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Ogun State: N252.36 billion
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Delta State: N202.49 billion
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Edo State: N132.21 billion
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Oyo State: N103.25 billion
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Kano State: N102.26 billion
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Akwa Ibom State: N100.80 billion
Conversely, the data highlights a widening fiscal gap at the lower end of the spectrum. Yobe State recorded the lowest IGR at N16.01 billion, trailed by Ebonyi (N17.18 billion) and Sokoto (N20.48 billion).
Nationwide, traditional tax revenues remained the primary engine of subnational IGR, bringing in N3.79 trillion (73.64 per cent of the total), while MDAs contributed N1.36 trillion.
Driving the tax figures was Pay As You Earn (PAYE), which alone generated N2.64 trillion, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all tax collections. At the other end, capital gains tax proved to be the smallest contributor, yielding just N12.40 billion.
Compiled by the Joint Revenue Board via official state submissions, the NBS figures underscore an aggressive upward trend in subnational revenue collection, heavily anchored by tax efficiency in leading commercial hubs like Lagos and Enugu.
