Nigeria is said to have a land area of 923, 768 sq km but the 36 states of the country are not divided equally. The largest state occupies 76,363 sq km while the smallest state occupies an estimated 3345 sq km.
In this post, we take a look at a brief profile of the 5 smallest states in the country with respect to their size in sq km.
But before we do that, let’s highlight these 36 states and their land area in square kilometres starting from the largest to the smallest state.
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List Of All 36 States In Nigeria
Nigeria has a total of 36 states and capital and below are all the states in Nigeria and their land areas.
1.) Niger State — 76,363 sq km
2.) Borno State — 70,898 sq km
3.) Taraba State — 54,473 sq km
4.) Kaduna State — 46,053 sq km
5.) Bauchi State — 45,837 sq km
6.) Yobe State — 45,502 sq km
7.) Zamfara State — 39,762 sq km
8.) Adamawa State — 36,917 sq km
9.) Kwara State — 36,825 sq km
10.) Kebbi State — 36,800 sq km
11.) Benue State — 34,059 sq km
12.) Plateau State — 30,913 sq km
13.) Kogi State — 29,833 sq km
14.) Oyo State — 28,454 sq km
15.) Nasarawa State — 27,117 sq km
16.) Sokoto State — 25,973 sq km
17.) Katsina State — 24,192 sq km
18.) Jigawa State — 23,154 sq km
19.) Cross River State — 20,156 sq km
20.) Kano State — 20,131 sq km
21.) Gombe State — 18,768 sq km
22.) Edo State — 17,802 sq km
23.) Delta State — 17,698 sq km
24.) Ogun State — 16,762 sq km
25.) Ondo State — 15,500 sq km
26.) Rivers State — 11,077 sq km
27.) Bayelsa State — 10,773 sq km
28.) Osun State — 9,251 sq km
29.) Federal Capital Territory — 7,315 sq km
30.) Enugu State — 7,161 sq km
31.) Akwa Ibom State — 7,081 sq km
32.) Ekiti State — 6,353 sq km
33.) Abia State — 6,320 sq km
34.) Ebonyi State — 5,670 sq km
35.) Imo State — 5,530 sq km
36.) Anambra State — 4,844 sq km
37.) Lagos State — 3,345 sq km
The List of Smallest States in Nigeria
1. Lagos State | 3,345 sq km
Lagos is estimated to be 22 times smaller than Niger state which is the largest state in the country.
Despite being the smallest state in the country, Lagos has the highest population at over 20 million inhabitants.
Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about Lagos.
Here are some interesting facts about Lagos.
- Lagos is home to the tallest building in West Africa. This is the NECOM house towers. It is 160m above the city.
- The most popular film industry in Lagos, Nollywood is centred in Lagos with most of the acting scenes in Nollywood movies taking place in Lagos.
- Lagos handles 80% of the country’s Imports particularly through the Apapa port
- Lagos is home to a floating city called Makoko which has been built over the water. Also, there are several water bodies across the city and people often use waterways to travel through the city.
- Lagos is considered to be among the fastest growing states in the world. It is said to be the economic hub of Nigeria
- The longest bridge in Africa is located in the state. It is the bridge that connects Lagos Island to the Mainland and its 11.8km long.
2. Anambra State | 4,844 sq km
Anambra is the 8th most populous state in Nigeria. The city is known for its three major cities, Nnewi, Onitsha and Awka.
Nnewi is known as the industrial city of Anambra State and it is home to several indigenous industrial manufacturing companies. The country’s first car manufacturing plant is located at Nnewi.
There are also many other auto part manufacturing factories in Nnewi. This probably explains why Nnewi is sometimes referred to as the ‘Japan of Africa’.
Anambra has produced a lot of top-notch indigenous companies. These include the like of the Ibeto Group of Companies, Cutix and ADswitch, Uru Industries Ltd, Omata Holdings Ltd, Cento Group of Companies, Coscharis of Companies Group, Innoson Group of Companies, Ebunso Nig. Ltd, John White Industries, Ejiamatu Group of Companies, Chicason Group, Louis Carter Group and many more.
Onitsha is another important commercial city in Anambra while Awka is the state capital of Anambra state.
Anambra is known to have an estimated IGR of N3billion naira monthly.
3. Imo State | 5,530 sq km
Imo state is the 3rd smallest state in the country with an estimated land area of 5530 sq km. The state was created from the East Central State in 1976. The state later produced the likes of Abia and Ebonyi state.
Imo state is known to have one of the largest oil palm plantations in West Africa, the Ada Palm Plantation Complex. This plantation was one of the major sources of foreign exchange in Nigeria before crude oil was discovered.
The state is also known for its serenity and it is one of the most educated states in the country with tertiary institutions like the Imo State University, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Eastern Palm University, Ogboko, Ideato, Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Alvan Ikoku College of Education and the Technological Skills Acqisition Institute, Orlu.
Also, Imo state is one of the oil-producing states in the country and it is particularly known for it vast quantity of gas production.
4. Ebonyi State | 5,670 sq km
Ebonyi state is one of the South Eastern states and it is also one of the smallest states in the country.
The state is primarily an agricultural region and it is one of the leading producers of rice, yam, potatoes, maize, beans, and cassava in Nigeria.
Also Read; The List Of Top 10 Poorest States in Nigeria (Updated)
5. Abia State | 6,320 sq km
Abia was created from Imo state and it is also one of the smallest states in the country.
The state is known for its commercial city, Aba which is one of the leading producers of textile and palm oil in Nigeria.
This area also engages in the production of pharmaceuticals, plastics, cement, and cosmetics which has made one of its markets, the Ariaria International Market the largest market in West Africa.