NIPC's Executive Secretary/CEO, Ms Yewande Sadiku, presented key data from the Book of States at the formal launch event in Abuja, highlighting competitive advantages and internally generated revenue (IGR) figures for states across Nigeria. The Book of States is a compendium of competitive advantages and investment opportunities in each of Nigeria's 36 states and the FCT, developed by NIPC with the support of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF).
Ms Sadiku noted that Lagos — the seventh fastest-growing city globally — has the largest concentration of young, skilled, and educated workers, the largest tourism and entertainment industry in Africa, and the highest GDP and IGR in Nigeria. The State also hosts over 70% of businesses in Nigeria and receives an annual average of over 80% of FDI inflows.
Ekiti State, with N8.5 billion IGR, was described as Nigeria's knowledge capital owing to its history of producing a disproportionately high number of academics and professors. Ekiti has a knowledge-focused special economic zone and a special agricultural processing zone, producing cocoa, kola nut, timber, and granite. Kano, with N40.6 billion IGR, is the largest labour market in Nigeria, a major commercial and manufacturing centre in the West African sub-region, and has rich cultural heritage assets.
Other states highlighted include Bauchi (N11.7 billion IGR, over 4.2 million hectares of arable land, substantial solid mineral deposits including gold, titanium, limestone, kaolin, and zinc), Sokoto (the largest limestone reserves in Africa, large phosphate deposits, and second in livestock production nationally), Taraba (N6.5 billion IGR, the largest tea farm in Nigeria, significant mineral resources), and Enugu (the only international airport in the South-East, multiple free trade zones, and a strategic gateway between the agricultural North and manufacturing South).
