There are 36 states in Nigeria. The Federal capital territory is in number 37. These 36 states are divided among the 3 regions in the country.
As at 1960 to 1963, Nigeria was only divided into 3 regions, namely eastern region, western region and northern region. From 1963 to 1967, there were 4 regions instead of three following the carving out of the mid western region out of the old western region.
From 1967 to 1976, General Yakubu Gowon created more states, bringing the total number of states in Nigeria to 12. Name of the 12 states are Rivers, Cross Rivers, East Central State( all from the old eastern state), Bendel, Western State and Lagos( all 3 from the old western state), Benue-Plateau, Kaduna, Kwara, Kano, Northwestern State and North-Eastern State ( all from the old northern region).
From 1976 to 1987, Abuja was created from the old Niger State and total number of states in Nigeria became 19. It later became 21 by 1991. The 36-state structure came to being in 1996.
The 36 states and their capital cities are listed below:
Abia State Umuahia
Adamawa Yola
Akwa Ibom Uyo
Anambra Awka
Bauchi Bauchi
Bayelsa Yenagoa
Benue Makurdi
Borno Maiduguri
Cross River Calabar
Delta Asaba
Ebonyi Abakaliki
Edo Benin
Ekiti Ado-Ekiti
Enugu Enugu
FCT Abuja
Gombe Gombe
Imo Owerri
Jigawa Dutse
Kaduna Kaduna
Kano Kano
Katsina Katsina
Kebbi Birnin Kebbi
Kogi Lokoja
Kwara Ilorin
Lagos Ikeja
Nassarawa Lafia
Niger Mina
Ogun Abeokuta
Ondo Akure
Osun Osogbo
Oyo Ibadan
Plateau Jos
Rivers Port Harcourt
Sokoto Sokoto
Taraba Jalingo
Yobe Damaturu
Zamfara Gusau