Geopolitical zones of Nigeria

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones, commonly called zones. They are a type of administrative division grouping the country's states, created during the regime of president General Sani Abacha. Nigerian economic, political, and educational resources are often shared across the zones.

The six zones were not entirely carved out based on geographic location, but rather states with similar ethnic groups, and/or common political history were classified in the same zones. Nigeria is made up of approximately 400 ethnic groups and 525 languages. There was a need for the government to merge similar groups for the effective allocation of resources.