According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Sokoto is the poorest state in Nigeria with an 81.2% poverty rate.

Furthermore, a 2012 information posted on the bureau’s website listed the top 10 poorest states in the country:


10. Zamfara – 70.8%

Formed from the Old Sokoto state in 1996 and located in northwestern Nigeria, Zamfara is governed by Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari, a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party.

Agriculture is the most important occupation of the people of the state, hence its slogan "farming is our pride"

Recently the governor was blasted for the “alarming scope of economic dangers and its potential threat to the economic development of the state,” by the Zamfara Budget Working Group.

9. Kebbi – 72%

Kebbi State is a north-western Nigeria state formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. It is bordered by Sokoto State,Niger State,Dosso Regionin the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin.

There isn’t much to be written about the state’s economy but things are looking up. The recently concluded Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA), stands out as one of Nigeria's most sophisticated airports and is expected to boost the state’s economy.

8. Bauchi – 73%

Bauchi is a Northern Nigerian state formed in 1976 when the former North-Eastern Stat ewas broken up.

In Hausa the word Bauchi meansthe land of freedom and tourism. However recent Boko Haram adventures in the area, though few, have driven tourists away from the area.

Last year Gov. Isa Juguda told Arewa that economies of Northern states is finished due to the Boko Haram insurgency.

7. Ebonyi – 73.6%

Created by Gen. Sanni Abacha in 1996, Ebonyi is the only south eastern state among the top 9 poorest country. It is governed by Martin Elechi who currently claims his enemies have set aside N3bn for his impeachment.

The state is besieged by corrupt office holders and the EFCC recently froze accounts of the state’s local governments.

6. Plateau - 74.1%

Plateau State is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is roughly located in the center of the country. Governored by Jonah Jang of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Plateau has naturally col climate and a wide range of tourist attractions and boasts of a bubbling state capital, Jos.

The state is haunted by some terrorist attacks and tribal clashes from time to time, especially clashes between Fulani herdsmen and its inhabitants.

5. Jigawa – 74.1%

Jigawa, carved out of the old Kano state is located in North central Nigeria and is under the leadership of Alhaji Sule lamido.

Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the east and Yobe State to the northeast. To the north, Jigawa shares an international border with Zinder Region in The Republic of Niger, which is a unique opportunity for cross-border trading activities. Government readily took advantage of this by initiating and establishing a Free-Trade Zone at the Border town of Maigatari of country of Niger.

4. Gombe – 74.2%

Gombe is another North eastern state which shares common borders with the states of Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa and Bauchi. It suffers sporadic attacks from terrorists and is governed by rIbrahim Hassan Dankwambo of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

3. Adamawa – 74.2%

Formed in 1991 from the extinct Gongola state, Adamawa has of late been terrorized by the islamist Boko Haram terrorist group, disrupting it’s economic development and growth.

However Yola, the state capital under its current governor Bala Ngillari is fast being transformed with new roads, street lights, traffic lights and other prerequisites of a modern city being built. However things are far from being rosy as other parts of the state remain underdeveloped.

2. Katsina – 74.5%

Katsina is a state in North central Nigeria and is governed by Ibrahim Shettima of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

The state has the highest poverty prevalence amongst all states in the region.

Under the economic sector there is a paltry capital allocation of only N276 million (0.2%) to manufacturing, a paltry N214,019,000 (0.1%) capital provision for Women Empowerment under the Ministry of Women Affairs and only N100 million (0.08%) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the states Youth Empowerment Program (Youth Action Plan).

1. Sokoto – 81.2%

Sokoto is located in the extreme Northwest of Nigeria. It has unfriendly climate conditions with temperature going as high as 45C on a normal day.

Most part of the state are rural areas and over eighty percent (80%) of the inhabitants of Sokoto practice one form of agriculture or another.