States of Nigeria
The 36 states of Nigeria are the highest administrative unit of West African Federal Republic of Nigeria. Each state has its own government, which is led by a directly elected governor, and a private state parliament. Below the state level there are 774 subordinate local government areas.
Tabular overview
In the table are the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory to the capital Abuja alphabetically listed can be sorted by size, population, population density and capital. The population figures are based on the Census ( VZ ) of 26 November 1991 and 21 March 2006.
( VZ = Census )
History of the Federal States
As a colony of Nigeria was divided into Northern Nigeria Protectorate and Southern Nigeria protectorate, later divided into a north- east- and west province and Lagos. After independence in 1960 these provinces were renamed regions.
A resolution adopted in May 1967 local government reform, the aufteilte Nigeria into twelve states, was one of the triggers of the Biafran war, so the secession of the former eastern province of Biafra, as the oil regions of Nigeria were beyond the reach of the Igbo by the new limits.
States have since 1967 - initially there were 12, 19 from 1976, 21 from 1987, 30 from 1991 and since 1996, the country is divided into 36 states.
The territorial development of the states:
1976 - 1987: 19 States
1987 - 1991: 21 states plus Abuja later
1991 - 1996: 29 states plus Abuja