ECONOMY & TRADE

Find opportunities.

Solid minerals, Atlantic ports and agro-ecological belts from the Sahel to the Niger Delta — browse a sector to see where opportunity concentrates, then follow a farming belt on the map.

Browse by sector

35 mineral catalogue entries (33 resource types). Power generation is covered in the energy section below.

Africa's largest known barite deposits, centred on Azara (Nasarawa) and the Benue Trough — the key domestic drilling-mud feedstock.

Agriculture belts

From savannah grain to forest tree crops

Pick a farming belt or a major crop to see where it concentrates, then follow it on the map.

See the belt on the map →

Farming belt

Rainforest (Lowland Rainforest)

Nigeria's cocoa and oil-palm heartland across the humid south-west, south-east and south-south.

What grows here

Cocoa (cash)
Oil palm (cash)
Cassava
Plantain and banana
Rubber (cash)
Kolanut (cash)
Yam
Maize
Cocoyam
Vegetables (ugu, okra, pepper)
Timber (obeche, mahogany, iroko)

Deep, leached ferralitic soils under high rainfall. Tree-crop agroforestry (cocoa, oil palm, kola) dominates, with root crops, plantain and vegetables in the understorey and on cleared ground.

States in the belt

Ondo Ogun Osun Oyo Ekiti Edo Anambra Imo Abia Ebonyi Akwa Ibom Cross River Lagos Delta Bayelsa Rivers Enugu Taraba

Major crops

Pick a crop to see where it is grown, then open it on the map to highlight every state in its belt.

See this crop on the map →

Crop

Cocoa

Nigeria's historic tree-crop export, grown in shaded lowland rainforest.

Ondo is Nigeria's largest cocoa-producing state; the south-west accounts for roughly three-quarters of national output.

Core producing states

Ondo Ogun Osun Oyo Ekiti Cross River Edo Delta Akwa Ibom Abia

Also grown in

Kogi Kwara Adamawa Taraba

Maritime trade

Ports: what ships today, and what might

Switch between operating terminals and proposed deep-water hubs.

Seaports handling container, bulk and general cargo today.

Open ports map

Apapa Port (Lagos)
Operating
Container and general cargo seaport
Nigeria's busiest seaport complex; handles most national container traffic.
Cargo: Containers, bulk, RORO, tank farms
Why it matters: National import hub, Apapa Wharf, Tin Can Island.
Lagos
Lekki Deep Sea Port
Operating
Deep-water container port
New deep-water port east of Lagos; NPA reports 19 m access channel depth and berths designed to 16.5 m.
Cargo: Containers, general cargo, free-zone logistics
Why it matters: First greenfield deep-sea port in a generation; Lekki Free Zone anchor.
Lagos
Port Harcourt Port
Operating
River / oil port
Oil and general cargo port on the Bonny River up from the Atlantic.
Cargo: Oil export support, general cargo, project cargo
Why it matters: Garden City harbour, Onne satellite, eastern gateway.
Rivers
Calabar Port
Operating
Eastern estuary port
Deep-water port on the Cross River estuary serving the southeast and Cameroon trade.
Cargo: General cargo, regional export, EPZ feedstock
Why it matters: Eastern seaport, historic Efik harbour.
Cross River
Warri Port
Operating
Delta river port
Delta port for oil, steel, and agricultural hinterland cargoes.
Cargo: Oil products, general cargo, delta hinterland
Why it matters: Escravos access, Warri industrial waterfront.
Delta
Onne Port
Operating
Oil and gas free-zone port
Oil and gas free-zone port east of Port Harcourt; NPA cites about 2,538 ha — largest port land area in Nigeria.
Cargo: Oil services, project cargo, containers (growing)
Why it matters: Energy logistics hub, free zone, large land take.
Rivers

Source: Nigerian Ports Authority port handbook (2024) · berth characteristics · Updated Last verified 2026-04-29

Energy grid

Power generation and distribution

Grid-connected generation plants and distribution companies from the power catalogue.

MW installed

13,625

28 NERC grid plants · 22 site rows rated

Gas-fired share

65%

16 gas sites · 6 hydro sites

Distribution companies

36 states and the FCT covered

Transmission corridors

Schematic · not surveyed · 18 mapped 330 kV nodes

Open power map

Gold markers are the four major hydro stations on the national grid; other markers are gas and steam plants.

Generation mix

Installed capacity of 28 grid-connected plants in the NERC Q4 2025 fleet (13,625 MW), by technology.

Major hydroelectric station
19%
2,638 MW
4 NERC units
Regional dam / small hydro
1%
150 MW
2 NERC units
Gas combined cycle
17%
2,341 MW
4 NERC units
Gas turbine (open cycle)
48%
6,456 MW
16 NERC units
Gas-fired steam station
15%
2,040 MW
2 NERC units

Afam Power Complex at 1,556 MW is the largest site in the catalogue; Egbin Power Station follows at 1,320 MW. NERC lists Egbin_1 (1,320 MW steam) as the single largest grid-connected plant.

Stations, largest first

Afam Power Complex
CCGT
Transcorp Power Plc, Shell Petroleum Development Co, Sahara Power / FIPL · 1982, 2010, 2025
Units: Afam I 726 MW, Afam VI 650 MW, Afam II 180 MW
1,556 MW gas complex at Okoloma-Afam, Oyigbo, Rivers State (NERC: Afam_1, Afam_2, Rivers_1).
Rivers
1,556
MW
Egbin Power Station
Steam
Egbin Power Plc (KEPCO Energy Resources) · 1985-1987
Units: 6 x 220 MW
Nigeria's largest thermal plant — 1,320 MW at Ijede, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Lagos
1,320
MW
Sapele Power Station
Steam
Sapele Power Plc, Ogorode Generation Company Ltd · 1978-1980, 2012
Units: Steam 720 MW, Sapele II 500 MW
1,220 MW at Sapele, Delta State — steam units plus the newer Sapele II turbines.
Delta
1,220
MW
Olorunsogo Power Station
CCGT
Pacific Energy Company Ltd, Olorunsogo Generation Company Ltd · 2007, 2015
Units: Olorunsogo I 335 MW, Olorunsogo II 750 MW
1,085 MW at Olorunsogo, Ewekoro, Ogun State.
Ogun
1,085
MW
Ughelli Power Station (Delta GS)
OCGT
Transcorp Power Plc · 1966-1990
Units: 6 x 100 MW plus earlier units
Transcorp's 900 MW gas complex at Ughelli, the oldest large thermal site in Nigeria.
Delta
900
MW
Geregu Power Station
OCGT
Amperion Power Distribution Co Ltd, Geregu Power Plc · 2007, 2012
Units: Two 435 MW blocks
870 MW at Geregu, Ajaokuta LGA, Kogi State.
Kogi
870
MW
Omotosho Power Station
OCGT
Omotosho Power Plc, Omotosho Generation Company Ltd · 2005, 2012
Units: Omotosho I 335 MW, Omotosho II 500 MW
835 MW at Omotosho, Odigbo, Ondo State.
Ondo
835
MW
Kainji Hydroelectric Power Station
Major hydro
Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd · 1968
Nigeria's first major hydro plant (760 MW), on the Niger at Kainji Dam.
Niger Kebbi
760
MW
Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station
Major hydro
Zungeru Hydropower Consortium / Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd · 2023
700 MW plant on the Kaduna River — Nigeria's newest major hydro asset.
Niger
700
MW
Odukpani Power Station (Calabar)
OCGT
Calabar Generation Company Ltd · 2015
Units: 5 x 113 MW
625 MW at Odukpani, Calabar, Cross River State.
Cross River
625
MW
Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station
Major hydro
North South Power Company Ltd · 1990
600 MW plant on the Kaduna River in Niger State.
Niger
600
MW
Jebba Hydroelectric Power Station
Major hydro
Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd · 1985
578 MW plant on the Niger downstream of Kainji, between Niger and Kwara states.
Niger Kwara
578
MW
Ihovbor NIPP (Benin I)
OCGT
Benin Generation Company Ltd · 2012-2013
Units: 500 MW NIPP block (Ihovbor_1)
500 MW open-cycle NIPP block at Ihovbor, Benin City, Edo State (NERC: Ihovbor_1).
Edo
500
MW
Alaoji Power Station
OCGT
Alaoji Generation Company Ltd · 2012-2015
Units: 4 x 124 MW
500 MW at Alaoji, Obo, Abia State.
Abia
500
MW
Okpai Power Station
CCGT
Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd (Oando PLC) · 2005
Units: Single 480 MW combined-cycle block
480 MW combined-cycle plant at Kwale, near Warri, Delta State.
Delta
480
MW
Azura-Edo IPP
CCGT
Azura-Edo Power Plant Ltd · 2018
Units: 461 MW combined cycle (Ihovbor_2)
461 MW combined-cycle IPP at Ihovbor, Benin City, Edo State (NERC: Ihovbor_2).
Edo
461
MW
Ibom Power Station
OCGT
Ibom Power Company Limited (AKSG) · 2009
Units: 2 x 63 MW Frame 6B, 1 x 63 MW Frame 9E
190 MW at Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State.
Akwa Ibom
190
MW
Omoku Power Station
OCGT
First Independent Power Ltd · 2005
Units: Open-cycle gas turbines
150 MW at Omoku, Rivers State.
Rivers
150
MW
Ikeja Hydroelectric Station
Regional hydro
Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd · 1990s
110 MW hydro plant on the Kainji cascade (NERC: Ikeja_1).
Niger
110
MW
Trans-Amadi Power Station
OCGT
First Independent Power Ltd · 2009
Units: 4 x 25 MW
100 MW at Trans-Amadi industrial district, Port Harcourt.
Rivers
100
MW
Igbafo Power Station
OCGT
Private operator (NERC market operator reports)
Units: 45 MW open cycle
45 MW grid-connected gas plant (NERC: Igbafo_1).
Ogun
45
MW
Dadin Kowa Hydroelectric Power Station
Regional hydro
Mabon Limited · 1984
40 MW plant on the Gongola River in Gombe State.
Gombe
40
MW

Regional / off-grid hydro

Not counted in the MW total above. Capacities marked unverified are excluded from totals.

Obudu Dam Hydroelectric Station — Small hydro scheme at Obudu Dam, Cross River State (installed capacity not verified in NERC reports).Unverified
Ikere Gorge Hydroelectric Station — Hydro scheme at Ikere Gorge, Oyo State (installed capacity not verified in NERC reports).Unverified
Challawa Gorge Hydroelectric Station — Challawa Gorge dam, Kano State — irrigation and basin management (generation capacity unverified).Unverified
Tiga Hydroelectric Power Station — Tiga Dam, Kano State — irrigation scheme with a small hydro plant (capacity unverified).Unverified

Dams (not generating power on the grid)

Goronyo Dam Power & Irrigation — Sokoto basin dam primarily for irrigation and water supply.
Bakolori Dam — Controversial Sokoto irrigation dam on the Sokoto River.
Asejire Dam — Multipurpose dam supplying Ibadan; linked to Asejire reservoir.

The four major hydro stations carry 2,638 MW between them (Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro, Zungeru).

Capacities are installed ratings from NERC, not output. Solar, diesel, captive and mini-grid generation are outside this dataset.

Source: NERC quarterly market operator reports · TCN transmission project descriptions (schematic routing) · Updated Last verified 2026-04-29

Map workspaces

Economy maps

Focused views for minerals, ports and power plants on the atlas.

Minerals

Resources map

Solid minerals, farming belts and export commodities by state.

Go to resources map

Operating + proposed

Ports & trade map

Active seaports, river ports and the proposed deep-water terminals.

Go to ports map

Power generation

Power & hydropower map

Hydroelectric stations on the lakes layer, plus the eleven grid distribution companies.

Go to power map

Sub-national signal

States to watch

A rotating sample from states with strong port, mineral, or IGR signals — not a fixed top-10 list.

Full IGR rankings

Source: MSMD · NPA · NBS state financial profiles · Updated FY 2024 IGR

What this hub does not cover

Power plants are listed by installed capacity only. Actual output, plant availability, gas supply and captive/solar/diesel generation are not covered.

Customs trade volumes and live commodity prices are also outside this hub. See the data hub for verified IGR rankings.

Source: Nigeria Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) mineral inventory · NUPRC/Nigeria petroleum data · Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) port handbook & berth characteristics · NERC quarterly market operator reports (grid-connected fleet) · Updated Last verified 2026-04-29