What are the States of Nigeria?

Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, which contains the capital, Abuja. Each state has an elected governor and house of assembly. When Nigeria became independent in 1960, it had just three large regions (Northern, Western and Eastern), and a fourth, the Mid-Western Region, was added in 1963. In 1967, shortly before the civil war, the military government replaced the regions with 12 states. More states were created in response to demands from ethnic groups and regions for their own governments: there were 19 by 1976, 21 by 1987, 30 by 1991, and 36 by 1996. The Federal Capital Territory was created in 1976, and Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital in 1991.