ads…Yobe, Sokoto, 3 others lag in IGR despite vast mineral wealth
…Enugu leads Nigeria’s IGR surge, with revenue up 1,519% in three years
Several Nigerian states endowed with substantial mineral deposits, agricultural resources and other economic assets remain at the bottom of the country’s internally generated revenue (IGR) rankings, highlighting the difficulty many subnational governments face in converting natural wealth into sustainable public revenue.
Yobe, Sokoto, Kebbi, Taraba and Ebonyi recorded some of the weakest IGR performances in 2025, according to BusinessDay’s analysis of state budget implementation reports published by BudgIT. The figures show that resource endowments have not translated into commensurate domestic revenue mobilisation, leaving many of the states heavily dependent on the monthly federally distributed revenue to finance government operations and development.
By contrast, Enugu recorded the fastest growth in IGR over the three-year period, with revenue surging from N25.12 billion in 2022 to N406.77 billion in 2025, a 1,519 percent increase. Niger and Abia also recorded sharp increases, with IGR rising 448.06 percent and 335.76 percent, respectively. The divergence suggests that the ability to build an effective revenue system and expand the taxable economic base can matter as much as the natural resources available to a state.adsads
