Unemployment Rate in Benue State 2026

Current statistics, youth unemployment, gender breakdown, sector analysis and comparison with national average — August 2026.

4.1% Unemployment Rate Narrow · NBS Q3

8.8% Youth Unemployment Ages 15–34

31.3% Broad Rate (2020) Incl. underemployed

2.2M Labour Force Benue State

📊 Benue's 4.1% is 0.2% below the national average (4.3%) · Ranks #24 of 37

📊 Benue State Unemployment Overview 2026

NBS Q3

Benue State has an unemployment rate of 4.1% as of NBS Q3 (narrow ILO definition). This places the state at rank #24 among Nigeria's 36 states and FCT, below the national average of 4.3%. Approximately 91,000 people in Benue are unemployed out of a total labour force of 2,210,000.

Youth unemployment in Benue State stands at 8.8% — significantly higher than the overall rate, reflecting the difficulty young graduates and school-leavers face in accessing formal sector employment. Female unemployment (4.7%) exceeds male unemployment (3.6%), consistent with the national pattern of gender-based labour market exclusion.

Under the old NBS broad methodology — which included underemployment and those working under 20 hours per week — Benue's combined unemployment and underemployment rate was approximately 31.3% as of 2020. This figure better captures the full extent of labour market distress than the narrow rate alone.

👥 Unemployment by Category — Benue State

NBS Q3 disaggregated data

4.1%

Overall Rate

Narrow · ILO

8.8%

Youth (15–34)

Above avg

4.7%

Female Rate

Gender gap

3.6%

Male Rate

Below female

31.3%

Broad Rate

2020 (old method)

91,000

Unemployed Persons

Absolute count

2.21M

Labour Force

Total workforce

#24

National Rank

1 = highest unemp.

⚠️ Why is Unemployment High in Benue?

Benue — Nigeria's "Food Basket of the Nation" — faces a devastating employment paradox: despite vast agricultural resources, farmer-herder conflicts have displaced hundreds of thousands of people from farming communities, turning agricultural workers into IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). The Dangote Tomato Processing Factory in Katsina-Ala has faced operational challenges due to insecurity.

Benue State shares several structural challenges common across Nigerian states: a growing youth population entering the labour market faster than the formal economy creates jobs, limited industrial development relative to population size, and a public sector that cannot sustainably expand employment to absorb graduates.

Skills mismatch is a persistent challenge — employers in Benue's key industries report difficulty finding candidates with the right technical and vocational skills, while graduates with general degrees find limited opportunities. Bridging this gap through vocational education and apprenticeship programmes is a key policy priority.

🌱 Employment Opportunities in Benue State

Benue's agricultural diversity (yam, cassava, sorghum, soybeans) supports agro-processing investment. The River Benue's fish stocks support aquaculture. Governor Alia's administration has prioritised agricultural mechanisation programmes. The University of Agriculture Makurdi produces agricultural graduates who can anchor modern farming enterprises.

🏭 Top Employment Sectors — Benue State

By employment share

Agriculture

~35%

Government

~25%

Education

~18%

Commerce

~14%

Note: Sector employment shares are approximate estimates for Benue State based on NBS LFS Q3 and state economic profile data.

🏢 Major Employers in Benue State

🏛️Benue State Government

🏛️University of Agriculture Makurdi

🏛️Dangote Tomato Factory

🏛️Agricultural sector

📊 Benue vs Nigeria National Average

NBS Q3

Overall Unemployment

4.1%

Benue

4.3%

National

-0.2%

Youth Unemployment (15–34)

8.8%

Benue

8.6%

National

+0.2%

Female Unemployment

4.7%

Benue

5.2%

National

-0.5%

Male Unemployment

3.6%

Benue

3.7%

National

-0.1%

Broad Rate (2020)

31.3%

Benue

33.3%

National

-2%

🏛️ Government Employment Initiatives in Benue

The Benue State Government has implemented several initiatives to address unemployment. At the federal level, programmes targeting Benue residents include the N-Power graduate employment scheme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) providing micro-loans to traders and farmers, and the Anchor Borrowers Programme which finances smallholder farmers.

The Benue State Ministry of Economic Planning and the State Employment Trust Fund (where established) coordinate local economic empowerment activities. NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programmes equip corps members serving in Benue with vocational skills including ICT, agriculture, fashion design and catering.

Private sector development — particularly in the key industries of Agriculture (food basket), Agro-processing, Education, Public sector — is the most sustainable path to reducing unemployment in Benue State. Federal and state investment in power infrastructure, road connectivity and security would create enabling conditions for private sector job creation.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Benue State Unemployment 2026

The unemployment rate in Benue State is 4.1% according to the NBS Labour Force Survey Q3 (narrow ILO definition). This is 0.2% below the national average of 4.3%. Benue ranks #24 among Nigeria's 36 states and FCT for unemployment.

Youth unemployment in Benue State stands at 8.8% (ages 15–34, narrow definition, NBS ). This is significantly higher than the adult unemployment rate of 4.1%, reflecting the challenges young graduates face in finding formal sector employment in Benue.

The top employment sectors in Benue State are: Agriculture, Government, Education, Commerce. Major employers include Benue State Government, University of Agriculture Makurdi, Dangote Tomato Factory, Agricultural sector.

Benue State's unemployment rate of 4.1% is 0.2% below Nigeria's national rate of 4.3% (NBS Q3 ). Nationally, Benue ranks #24 among 37 states and FCT. The state with the highest unemployment is Imo (9.8%) and the lowest is Zamfara (1.6%).

The narrow unemployment rate in Benue is 4.1% (ILO definition — people without work, available and actively seeking). The broad rate — which includes underemployment and people working fewer than 20 hours/week — was approximately 31.3% under the old NBS methodology last measured in 2020. Nigeria switched to the narrow ILO definition in 2021. Both figures are valid but measure different aspects of labour market distress.

📊 Data source: NBS Q3 — North Central zone with Benue state data. National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Labour Force Survey. All unemployment figures use the ILO narrow definition unless marked "broad". Data accuracy for conflict-affected states may be affected by IDP displacement. Page updated: August 2026. Source: nigerianstat.gov.ng ↗

Unemployment Rate by State in Nigeria — 2026

📉 Abia — 7.2% 📉 Adamawa — 3.8% 📉 Akwa Ibom — 8.9% 📉 Anambra — 6.8% 📉 Bauchi — 2.8% 📉 Bayelsa — 6.7% 📉 Benue — 4.1% 📉 Borno — 3.1% 📉 Cross River — 5.3% 📉 Delta — 5.9% 📉 Ebonyi — 4.8% 📉 Edo — 5.6% 📉 Ekiti — 5.1% 📉 Enugu — 5.4% 📉 FCT Abuja — 5.1% 📉 Gombe — 3.4% 📉 Imo — 9.8% 📉 Jigawa — 2.4% 📉 Kaduna — 4.8% 📉 Kano — 3.2% 📉 Katsina — 2.8% 📉 Kebbi — 1.9% 📉 Kogi — 4.3% 📉 Kwara — 4.1% 📉 Lagos — 7.4% 📉 Nasarawa — 3.9% 📉 Niger — 3.3% 📉 Ogun — 4.6% 📉 Ondo — 4.9% 📉 Osun — 4.7% 📉 Oyo — 6.2% 📉 Plateau — 4.4% 📉 Rivers — 8.1% 📉 Sokoto — 2.3% 📉 Taraba — 3.6% 📉 Yobe — 2.9% 📉 Zamfara — 1.6%