Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with their creation, predecessor units, LGAs, peoples and history — each entry backed by cited sources.
North Central
Benue State
Benue State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Makurdi. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Benue-Plateau State. It is…
Federal Capital Territory
The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is the capital of the Federation and the seat of the Government of the Federation. It was created on 3…
Kogi State
Kogi State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Lokoja. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Benue State and Kwara State. It…
Kwara State
Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Ilorin. It was created on 27 May 1967. It is grouped in the North Central…
Nasarawa State
Nasarawa State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Lafia. It was created on 1 October 1996 from Plateau State. It is grouped…
Niger State
Niger State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Minna. It was created on 3 February 1976 from North-Western State. It is…
Plateau State
Plateau State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Jos. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Benue-Plateau State. It is…
North East
Adamawa State
Adamawa State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Yola. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Gongola State. It is grouped…
Bauchi State
Bauchi State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Bauchi. It was created on 3 February 1976 from North-Eastern State. It is…
Borno State
Borno State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Maiduguri. It was created on 3 February 1976 from North-Eastern State. It is…
Gombe State
Gombe State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Gombe. It was created on 1 October 1996 from Bauchi State. It is grouped in…
Taraba State
Taraba State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Jalingo. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Gongola State. It is grouped…
Yobe State
Yobe State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Damaturu. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Borno State. It is grouped in…
North West
Jigawa State
Jigawa State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Dutse. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Kano State. It is grouped in…
Kaduna State
Kaduna State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Kaduna. It was created on 27 May 1967 as North-Central State and later took…
Kano State
Kano State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Kano. It was created on 27 May 1967 from Northern Region. It is grouped in…
Katsina State
Katsina State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Katsina. It was created on 23 September 1987 from Kaduna State. It is…
Kebbi State
Kebbi State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Birnin Kebbi. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Sokoto State. It is…
Sokoto State
Sokoto State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Sokoto. It was created on 3 February 1976 from North-Western State. It is…
Zamfara State
Zamfara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Gusau. It was created on 1 October 1996 from Sokoto State. It is grouped…
South East
Abia State
Abia State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Umuahia. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Imo State. It is grouped in…
Anambra State
Anambra State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Awka. It was created on 3 February 1976 from East-Central State. It is…
Ebonyi State
Ebonyi State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Abakaliki. It was created on 1 October 1996 from Abia State and Enugu…
Enugu State
Enugu State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Enugu. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Anambra State. It is grouped in…
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Owerri. It was created on 3 February 1976 from East-Central State. It is…
South South
Akwa Ibom State
Akwa Ibom State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Uyo. It was created on 23 September 1987 from Cross River State. It is…
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Yenagoa. It was created on 1 October 1996 from Rivers State. It is grouped…
Cross River State
Cross River State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Calabar. It was created on 27 May 1967 as South-Eastern State and…
Delta State
Delta State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Asaba. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Bendel State. It is grouped in…
Edo State
Edo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Benin City. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Bendel State. It is grouped…
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Port Harcourt. It was created on 27 May 1967. It is grouped in the South…
South West
Ekiti State
Ekiti State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Ado Ekiti. It was created on 1 October 1996 from Ondo State. It is grouped…
Lagos State
Lagos State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Ikeja. It was created on 27 May 1967. It is grouped in the South West…
Ogun State
Ogun State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Abeokuta. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Western State. It is grouped…
Ondo State
Ondo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Akure. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Western State. It is grouped in…
Osun State
Osun State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Oshogbo. It was created on 27 August 1991 from Oyo State. It is grouped in…
Oyo State
Oyo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria; its capital is Ibadan. It was created on 3 February 1976 from Western State. It is grouped in…
Historical administrative units
Bendel State
Benue-Plateau State
East-Central State
North-Eastern State
North-Western State
Western State
Gongola State
Abaji
Abaji is one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, listed in Part II of the First Schedule to the 1999 Constitution…
Abuja Municipal Area Council
Abuja Municipal Area Council is one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, listed in Part II of the First Schedule to…
Bwari
Bwari is one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, listed in Part II of the First Schedule to the 1999 Constitution…
Eastern Region
Gwagwalada
Gwagwalada is one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, listed in Part II of the First Schedule to the 1999…
Kuje
Kuje is one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, listed in Part II of the First Schedule to the 1999 Constitution…
Kwali
Kwali is one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, listed in Part II of the First Schedule to the 1999 Constitution…
Mid-Western Region
Northern Region
Western Region
Every record in the Nigeria Heritage Archive lists its sources and an evidence status. Oral traditions are kept as cultural records, and planned or announced events are kept apart from what has happened.