Unemployment Rate in Ondo State 2026

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

4.9% Unemployment Rate Narrow · NBS Q3

9.9% Youth Unemployment Ages 15–34

31.6% Broad Rate (2020) Incl. underemployed

1.7M Labour Force Ondo State

📊 Ondo's 4.9% is +0.6% above the national average (4.3%) · Ranks #17 of 37

📊 Ondo State Unemployment Overview 2026

NBS Q3

Ondo State has an unemployment rate of 4.9% as of NBS Q3 (narrow ILO definition). This places the state at rank #17 among Nigeria's 36 states and FCT, above the national average of 4.3%. Approximately 85,000 people in Ondo are unemployed out of a total labour force of 1,740,000.

Youth unemployment in Ondo State stands at 9.9% — significantly higher than the overall rate, reflecting the difficulty young graduates and school-leavers face in accessing formal sector employment. Female unemployment (5.5%) exceeds male unemployment (4.3%), 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 — Ondo's combined unemployment and underemployment rate was approximately 31.6% as of 2020. This figure better captures the full extent of labour market distress than the narrow rate alone.

👥 Unemployment by Category — Ondo State

NBS Q3 disaggregated data

4.9%

Overall Rate

Narrow · ILO

9.9%

Youth (15–34)

Above avg

5.5%

Female Rate

Gender gap

4.3%

Male Rate

Below female

31.6%

Broad Rate

2020 (old method)

85,000

Unemployed Persons

Absolute count

1.74M

Labour Force

Total workforce

#17

National Rank

1 = highest unemp.

⚠️ Why is Unemployment High in Ondo?

Ondo is one of Nigeria's top cocoa producers but global cocoa price volatility creates income instability for farming households. Oil production in the Ilaje offshore fields employs few Ondo indigenes directly. The state has one of Nigeria's largest undeveloped bitumen deposits but extraction has not materialised.

Ondo 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 Ondo'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 Ondo State

Ondo's bitumen deposits (estimated 42 billion barrels — larger than Saudi Arabia's oil reserves by some estimates) represent a massive potential employer if developed. Cocoa processing into chocolate, butter and powder would add value and jobs. Akure's growing tech ecosystem is attracting startup investment. The Deep Offshore Oil block (OML 113) in Ilaje could transform the local economy.

🏭 Top Employment Sectors — Ondo State

By employment share

Oil & Gas (Ilaje)

~35%

Agriculture (cocoa)

~25%

Government

~18%

Education

~14%

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

🏢 Major Employers in Ondo State

🏛️Ondo State Government

🏛️Federal University of Technology Akure

🏛️Bitumen deposits (potential)

🏛️Cocoa sector

📊 Ondo vs Nigeria National Average

NBS Q3

Overall Unemployment

4.9%

Ondo

4.3%

National

+0.6%

Youth Unemployment (15–34)

9.9%

Ondo

8.6%

National

+1.3%

Female Unemployment

5.5%

Ondo

5.2%

National

+0.3%

Male Unemployment

4.3%

Ondo

3.7%

National

+0.6%

Broad Rate (2020)

31.6%

Ondo

33.3%

National

-1.7%

🏛️ Government Employment Initiatives in Ondo

The Ondo State Government has implemented several initiatives to address unemployment. At the federal level, programmes targeting Ondo 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 Ondo 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 Ondo with vocational skills including ICT, agriculture, fashion design and catering.

Private sector development — particularly in the key industries of Cocoa farming, Petroleum (offshore Ilaje), Education, Timber — is the most sustainable path to reducing unemployment in Ondo State. Federal and state investment in power infrastructure, road connectivity and security would create enabling conditions for private sector job creation.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Ondo State Unemployment 2026

The unemployment rate in Ondo State is 4.9% according to the NBS Labour Force Survey Q3 (narrow ILO definition). This is +0.6% above the national average of 4.3%. Ondo ranks #17 among Nigeria's 36 states and FCT for unemployment.

Youth unemployment in Ondo State stands at 9.9% (ages 15–34, narrow definition, NBS ). This is significantly higher than the adult unemployment rate of 4.9%, reflecting the challenges young graduates face in finding formal sector employment in Ondo.

The top employment sectors in Ondo State are: Oil & Gas (Ilaje), Agriculture (cocoa), Government, Education. Major employers include Ondo State Government, Federal University of Technology Akure, Bitumen deposits (potential), Cocoa sector.

Ondo State's unemployment rate of 4.9% is +0.6% above Nigeria's national rate of 4.3% (NBS Q3 ). Nationally, Ondo ranks #17 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 Ondo is 4.9% (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 31.6% 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 — South-West zone disaggregated 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%