Lagos Leads as States and FCT Raise N5.15 Trillion in IGR for 2025
By Aboki Forex —
Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) generated N5.15 trillion in internally generated revenue (IGR) in 2025, a 40.93% jump from the N3.65 trillion recorded in 2024.
The figures come from the 2025 IGR report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which tracks revenue from taxes and from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Tax revenue accounted for 73.64% of the national IGR total.
Lagos, Rivers and Enugu Lead
Lagos retained its place as the highest-earning state, bringing in N1.77 trillion in 2025, up from N1.26 trillion in 2024. That single state's collection is more than one-third of the combined total for all 36 states and the FCT.
Rivers State came second with N428.42 billion, up from N317.30 billion. Enugu climbed to third place with N406.77 billion, rising from N282.36 billion the previous year.
The FCT ranked fourth at N356.34 billion, while Ogun was fifth with N252.36 billion.
The rest of the top ten: Delta with N202.49 billion, Edo with N132.21 billion, Oyo with N103.25 billion, Kano with N102.26 billion and Akwa Ibom with N100.80 billion.
The Bottom of the Table
Yobe generated N16.01 billion, the lowest of any jurisdiction. Ebonyi followed with N17.18 billion, and Sokoto completed the bottom three with N20.48 billion.
The ten jurisdictions with the lowest IGR in 2025 were Yobe at N16.01 billion, Ebonyi at N17.18 billion, Sokoto at N20.48 billion, Taraba at N28.16 billion and Benue at N29.57 billion.
Zamfara raised N30.07 billion, Kebbi N31.23 billion, Nasarawa N32.57 billion, Adamawa N33.76 billion and Borno N36.36 billion.
PAYE Carries the Tax Load
Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) was the dominant revenue source nationally, generating N2.64 trillion and accounting for 69.51% of total tax revenue for the year. That is more than two-thirds of all tax collections.
Other sources included direct assessment, road taxes, stamp duties and withholding taxes. Capital gains tax was the smallest contributor at N12.40 billion.
The IGR numbers land alongside a softer showing on company tax. The NBS reported that Company Income Tax (CIT) collections stood at N1.37 trillion in Q1 2026, an 8.08% decline from the N1.49 trillion recorded in Q4 2025. Domestic and foreign payments across key sectors drove that total.
For states, the gap between Lagos and the rest shows how much of the country's tax base sits in one commercial centre. States that rely heavily on PAYE are also exposed to payroll shocks, since salary deductions carry most of the load while capital gains and other tax lines bring in very little. A wider tax net would ease pressure on workers and give state governments more room to fund budgets without borrowing.