Size of Nigeria and Her 36 States

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Nigeria is a geographical area with a total land area of 983,213 km2. Currently, there are over 180 million people living in the country’s six geopolitical zones.

These zones are made up of 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory. In this post, we take a look at these 36 states and their respective sizes.

smallest states in nigeria

  1. Abia State

Located in the South East, Abia State has a geographical area of 6,320 km2. It was created from Imo State in 1991. The state is known for its commercial hub situated in Aba. The capital of Abia state is Umuahia and the state’s slogan is God’s own state.

  1. Adamawa State

With a geographical area of 36,917 km2, Adamawa is one of the major states in the North East. The capital of the state is Yola. Adamawa used to be known as the Land of Beauty, Sunshine and Hospitality but that has since changed to this new slogan, “Highest Peak of the nation.”

  1. Akwa Ibom State

Also known as the Land of Promise, Akwa Ibom has a geographical area of 7081 km2. The state is located along the coast of the Southern part of Nigeria. Akwas Ibom is the highest oil and gas producing state in the country.

  1. Anambra State

Anambra has a land area of 4841 km 2. It is located in the South East and its capital is Awka. The state shares boundary with the likes of Delta, Kogi, Enugu and Rivers State.

  1. Bauchi State

Bauchi State is one of the largest states in the North East with a land area of 45, 837 km2. It is located on the northern edge of the Jos Plateau. The capital of the state is Bauchi City and the state’s slogan is Pearl of Tourism.

  1. Bayelsa State

Bayelsa is one of the oil-producing states in the country. The former president of the country, Dr Goodluck Jonathan hails from this state. The state has a land area of 10,773 km2. The capital of Bayelsa is Yenagoa.

  1. Benue State

The capital of Benue is Makurdi and the state has a geographical area of 34,059 km2. The state is known as the Food Basket of the Nation as many of its indigenes are farmers,

  1. Borno State

Borno is known as the Home of Peace but the attacks from the terrorist group; Boko Haram seems to have changed this narrative. It is one of the largest states in the country with a land area of 70,898km2. The capital of Borno is Maiduguri.

  1. Cross River State

Cross River is known as one of the major tourist centres in the country which makes the state one of the best places to visit for a holiday.

The state has a land area of 20,156 km2. The slogan of Cross River is People’s Paradise and the capital of the state is Calabar.

  1. Delta State

Delta is another oil-producing state with a land area of 17,698 km2. The slogan of Delta State is Finger of God and its capital is Asaba. One of the most popular cities in Nigeria, Warri is located in Delta State.

  1. Ebonyi State

Ebonyi was created in 1996 from Abia and Enugu. The capital of Ebonyi is Abakaliki and the state’s slogan is the salt of the Nation. It is one of the smallest states in Nigeria with a land area of 5670 km2.

  1. Edo State

Edo State has a land area of 17,802 km2. The state is known as the Heart Beat of the Nation and the capital is Benin. Benin is a city with a great history as it was one of the major destinations of the Europeans many centuries ago.

  1. Ekiti State

Ekiti State was carved out from Ondo State, it has a land area of 6353 km2 making it one of the smallest states in the South West. The capital of the state is Ado Ekiti. The state is reputed to be one of the states with the highest number of professors.

  1. Enugu State

Enugu State is located in the South East and it has a land area of 7161 km2. The state was famous for its coal mines several decades ago and this is why it is called “the Coal City”.

  1. Gombe State

Gombe State has a land area of 18,768km2. The state is called the Jewel in the Savannah and it is located in the North East. Gombe State was formed from Bauchi State in 1996.

  1. Imo State

Formerly called the Land of Hope, Imo State has a land area of 5530 km2. The state is now called the Eastern Heartland. The largest city in the state, Owerri is also the capital city.

  1. Jigawa State

Jigawa State has a land area of 23,154 km2. The capital of Jigawa is Dutse and the state’s slogan is the New World. It is located in the North West and it shares boundaries with the likes of Kano, Katsina, Bauchi and Yobe.

  1. Kaduna State

It is the largest state in the North West with a land area of 46,053 km2. Kaduna is known as the Centre of Learning.

  1. Kano State

Kano State was created from the Northern Region in 1967; it has a land area of 20,131 km2. Kano is known as the Centre of Commerce as it is a major producer of hides and skins, sesame, soybean, cotton, garlic, gum arabic and chili pepper.

  1. Katsina State

Katsina State has a land area of 24,192 km2. The state is located in the North West. It was created from Kaduna State in 1987. It is also known as the State of Hospitality and its capital is Katsina.

  1. Kebbi State

The capital of Kebbi State is Birnin Kebbi. The state has a land area of 36,800 km2 and it is known as the Land of Equity.

  1. Kogi State

Kogi has a land area of 29,833 km2. It is known as the Confluence State as it is located in the region where the popular River Niger and Benue meet. The two rivers meet at the state capital in Lokoja.

  1. Kwara State

Kwara State is also known as the state of Harmony. It has a land area of 36, 825 km2. The state is located in the region commonly referred to as the Middle Belt. The capital of Kwara State is Ilorin.

  1. Lagos State

Lagos State is the smallest state in terms of size with a land area of 3345 km2. But it is the major economic centre in Nigeria. It is also the most populous state in the country with over 20 million residents. The capital of Lagos State is Ikeja.

  1. Nasarawa State

Nasarawa State has a land area of 27,117 km2. The capital of the State is Lafia. The state is known as the home of Solid Minerals. Nasarawa State shares boundaries with Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

  1. Niger State

Also known as the Power State and it is the largest state in the country with a land area of 76,363 km2. The popular Kainji Dam is located in this state and its capital is Minna.

  1. Ogun State

The capital of Ogun State is Abeokuta and it has a land area of 16,762 km2. The state is also known as the Gateway State.

  1. Ondo State

Ondo State has a land area of 15,500 km2. It is located in South West, Nigeria, and the state is also known as the Sunshine State. The capital of Ondo State is Akure

  1. Osun State

Osun State is another state in the South West. It has a land area of 9251 km2. It is known as the Land of Virtue and the capital of the state is Oshogbo.

  1. Oyo State

Oyo State has a land area of 28,454 km2 making it the largest state in the South West. The capital of Oyo State is Ibadan which is the largest city in West Africa.

  1. Plateau State

Plateau State is located at the centre of country. It has a land area of 30,913 km2. The capital of the state is Jos. The slogan of the state is Home of peace and tourism

  1. Rivers State

Rivers State has a land area of 11,077 km2 and it is one of the oil producing states in the country. It is known as the Treasure base of the Nation and the capital of the state is Port Harcourt

  1. Sokoto State

Sokoto State is the Seat of the Caliphate and it is one of the major cities in the North. It has a land area of 25,973km2.

  1. Taraba State

Located in the Middle Belt or North Central region of the country, Taraba is one of the largest in the country with a land area of 54,473 km2.

  1. Yobe State

Also known as the Pride of the Sahel, Yobe State was carved out of Borno in 1991 and it has a land area of 45,502 km2.

  1. Zamfara State

Located in North West, Nigeria, Zamfara was formed from Sokoto State in 1996 and it has a land area of 39,762 km2.

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