The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Nigeria published unemployment rate by state in its recent publication and this has attracted much criticisms to the Bureau from Nigerians. Do not quickly criticize the National Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria. In Nigeria, unemployment and poverty are not always allies.

States like Nasarawa and Sokoto in Nigeria have reported the lowest unemployment rates, at 0.5% and 1.2% respectively, compared to states like Abia and Rivers, which have unemployment rates of 18.7% and 14.1%. This disparity can largely be attributed to the high levels of self-employment in Nasarawa and Sokoto, where economic realities drive a significant portion of the population into entrepreneurship. Some analysts have questioned the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) over what they see as a discrepancy in the data. However, there is nothing wrong with the NBS’s reporting. The bureau is doing its best under challenging conditions.

The lack of large-scale industrial activity in states like Nasarawa and Sokoto pushes many into self-employment as a means of survival, creating an inverse relationship between poverty and self-employment. Essentially, higher poverty rates lead to more people working for themselves. On the other hand, states like Abia, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) tend to have higher unemployment rates due to the greater availability and expectation of well-paying jobs in these regions. This dynamic is evident in Gombe state, where the unemployment rate stands at 11.2%. Gombe is relatively more industrialized, with sectors like cement and furniture manufacturing, which sets it apart from many of its neighboring states.

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