North Central · Capital: Minna
Niger State
Governor: Mohammed Umar Bago
Population
3,954,772
Land area
76,363 km²
Created
May 27, 1967
Governance
Mohammed Umar Bago (APC, born 22 February 1974 in Minna) has served as Governor of Niger State since 29 May 2023. A banker and former House of Representatives member for Chanchaga, he succeeded Abubakar Sani Bello, who was term-limited after two terms.
History
Niger State was created on 27 May 1967 from the former Northern Region, one of the original 12 states. It is Nigeria's largest state by land area, hosting the Kainji and Shiroro hydroelectric dams on the Niger River, from which it takes its name.
Natural Resources
Gold and other solid minerals
Deposits identified across several LGAs alongside talc and marble.
Tourism
Home to Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria's oldest and one of its largest, alongside the historic Gurara Falls.
- Gurara Falls
- Kainji Lake National Park
- Zuma Rock (near the Niger-FCT boundary)
Agriculture
Nigeria's largest state by land area supports extensive rice, sugarcane, and livestock farming, aided by irrigation from the Kainji and Shiroro dams.
Rice · Sugarcane · Yam · Guinea corn · Groundnut
Investment
Hosts the Kainji and Shiroro hydroelectric dams, together supplying a significant share of Nigeria's grid power, alongside growing agro-industrial investment.
Hydroelectric power · Agriculture & agro-processing · Solid minerals · Tourism
Infrastructure
Education
Federal University of Technology, Minna · Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University