States and Cities in Nigeria with the Highest Salaries for their workers

Introduction

‘Big salaries’ is often the reason why many employees, especially recent graduates would prefer to work in some states and build a career there, rather than some others. With the increasing commercial activities in Nigeria, so many of her states and cities have become highly dominated with various business activities, ranging from physical buying and selling to virtual online and automated services. This has led to increases in the general production output of the places in which these activities are carried out. And therefore also lead to higher salaries of the employees in the states.

For example, a city where petrol products are produced is likely to lead to an increase in the general output of the state and thus reflect the productivity of the company’s in that states. Thus, since these companies are the major movers of the increase in general output, it’s not far-fetched why the employees of the companies are then given handsome rewards in terms of high salaries that are proportionate to the efforts they make to the company. Thus ‘big work-big salary’.

Here are the top ten places in Nigeria with highest average salaries to the employees;

1. LAGOS

Obviously, Lagos is the number one city in Nigeria with high the highest salary structure. It has various commercial activities that set the pace for other cities and states to emulate. This could be due to so many factors, ranging from the fact that;

Most of the big companies are located there,

It’s the most populated city in Nigeria,

It has a very wide and diverse sets of people working in it,

It is close to the Atlantic Ocean which aids faster importation and exportation of goods and services,

It has good infrastructural facilities which aids commercial activities, and

It is a city where new technology and innovation are always first exploited before other cities think of doing so, and various other reasons.

From research and studies, it can be agreed that while Lagos may be so commercialized and gives lots of potential to pay huge salaries and other financial benefits to the employees in the state, it is also evident this cannot be found to be true in some areas of the states as well as some of the companies in it. However, on the average, research shows that Lagos state has the highest number of employees with huge salaries and even potential for more.

It’s also important to mention that ‘big pay’ will always result in ‘big problems’ as its evident in the large number of employees in the state having to spend so much of the money on transportation and other recurrent expenses as the standard of living is very high.

See the salaries in Lagos

2. DELTA

With oil revenue of the 2017 budget to fund approximately 27% of the national budget and oil being greatly domicile in the state, this can give an insight to the amount of production activities that will be carried in the state on a daily basis.

Oil activities being the major business transactions in delta state gives an idea of the number of oil and gas companies present in the state. Thus, since most of the employees in the state find themselves working in any of these firms that spend money like ‘grasses’, they therefore partake in this ‘plenty’ by earning salaries sometimes up to 7-digit figures.

See the salaries in Delta state.

3. FCT ABUJA

FCT Abuja, being the capital city of the country is the home of hospitality, relaxation and luxury. Hospitality centers such as hotels and other relaxation places thus earn a fortune in servicing the social needs of the politicians residing there. They probably also spend one-third of their day in those places rather than the place of assignment that they have been designated to. What this means is that, most of the production output in the city are from services and thus the employees providing these services are handsomely rewarded for their ‘fine faces’ presented to these employees while carrying out their duties.

Abuja also serves as a citadel for most of the governmental parastatals headquarters in Nigeria, thus fetching its employees money in form of salaries like ‘lords’ even though in real sense they are tagged civil servants.

See the salaries in Abuja.

4. OYO

Oyo state’s capital Ibadan being formerly the largest city in Nigeria and currently the second largest city in the country (after Kano) by geographical size and the third most populous city (after Lagos and Kano) by residential population is the foundation of higher education in Nigeria being the home of the first higher institution in Nigeria.

The state has five universities and 8 polytechnics owning the fact that education it’s a focal point of the state objective and thus many employees find themselves in any of these schools.

It is also the fourth-largest state economy in Nigeria and the second largest non-oil state economy with his strategic location on the railway industry and massive production of Agricultural products. As a result of all of the above, the state stands as the fourth state in Nigeria with the highest pay structure for its employees as there are diverse economic activities there, thus giving the employees huge salaries.

See the salaries in Oyo state.

5. KANO

By geographical coverage, Kano state has the largest city (Kano) in Nigeria and is the second most populated city in the country. It is the home of business activities in the North. People travel as far as south east and south west down to the states capital for various business transactions and some have even found the city as a safe haven for their family and businesses.

The state has maintained its economy and business activities and has even produced twice ‘the richest figure’ in Nigeria, in the person of Aliko Dangote and Alhassan Dantata (Dangote’s grandfather). The state is the fifth state in Nigeria with the huge salaries to the employees.

See the salaries in Kano.

6. RIVERS

Surrounded by various rivers, the state was named accordingly. The capital city is economically significant to the Nigeria’s oil industry. With 9 oil and gas companies in the state such as the Shells and Chevrons, it is evident that employees working here will not just be earning but amassing a fortune for themselves and even their generation. Rivers state is the sixth Nigerian state that pays huge salaries to its workforce.

See the salaries in Rivers state.

7. EDO

This state houses the ancient city of Benin which was formerly called ‘The Bini Kingdom’. With the emphasis on the cultural heritage of the state, the state is able to attract international investment in from foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment. Its focal point is on entertainment, tourism and hospitality. Edo state is the seventh Nigerian states with the highest salaries structure.

See the salaries in Edo state.

8. BAYELSA

Oil was discovered in Nigeria in Oloibiri in the Niger Delta after half a century of exploration. The discovery was made by Shell-BP, at the time the sole concessionaire. Oloibiri town is located in ogbia local government are, which is one of the bayelsa’s states local government area. This produces an insight to the ‘oil’ money available in the state with the likes of Shell Company and the refineries there. The state is the eight state in Nigeria with highest salaries to its employees.

See the salaries in Bayelsa state.

9. IMO

The State is blessed with abundant natural resources. These include crude oil, lead, zinc, white clay, fine sand, limestone and natural gas in commercial quantities. Imo State has a number of mineral-based raw materials for industries. There are a total of 11,607 industrial and business establishments in Imo State: 9,274 are in the services/business, 1,858 in the manufacturing sector, 416 in building and construction, 53 in agricultural activity, while three establishments each are in mining and quarrying as well as in water, gas and electricity. All of these facts makes it a bubbling state for investment and business activities. It ranks as the ninth states in Nigeria with the highest salaries to the workforce.

See the salaries in Imo state.

10. OGUN

Bordering Lagos, Oyo and Ondo states gives this states the potential for lots of economic activities in the states. Most companies who are unable to get lands and spaces in Lagos states are forced to get one in Ogun state which makes as a result of its proximity to the state. Thus having a lot of commercial activities like Lagos. With ten universities and four polytechnics in the state, it currently houses the highest number of higher institutions in Nigeria. This thus leads to the employees of the state earning quite huge also.

See the salaries in Ogun state.

In conclusion thus, employees intending to change their place or states of work and settle somewhere else can find any of these states as greener pasture as these states offers high salaries in comparison with others. Youth service corps members and recent graduates also seeking for states for primary place of assignment (PPA) or a state to start a career can also find any of these states greatly instrumental in their search for a safe haven. However, these states are also densely populated due to the level economic activities. So more pay, more work!

See also Salaries of the Top Ten Companies in Nigeria with Highest Salaries.