Foreign investors bypassed 26 Nigerian states as the country’s capital importation reached $2.60 billion in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024, a 152.81% year-on-year increase compared to $1.03 billion in Q2 2023.

This was disclosed in the latest capital importation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday.

The number of states without recorded investments decreased slightly from 27 in Q2 2023 to 26 in Q2 2024.

Lagos State remained the top destination, attracting $1.37 billion, or 52.52% of total capital inflows. Abuja followed closely with $1.24 billion, accounting for 47.48% of the total.

The 26 states that did not receive any foreign investments between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024 are:

1. Bauchi
2. Bayelsa
3. Benue
4. Borno
5. Cross River
6. Delta
7. Ebonyi
8. Edo
9. Enugu
10. Gombe
11. Imo
12. Jigawa
13. Kaduna
14. Kano
15. Katsina
16. Kebbi
17. Kogi
18. Kwara
19. Nasarawa
20. Osun
21. Oyo
22. Plateau
23. Sokoto
24. Taraba
25. Yobe
26. Zamfara

The report underscores the concentration of foreign capital inflows in Lagos and Abuja, leaving many states without external investments during the period.