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Education is one of the most powerful tools for personal and societal growth, and in Nigeria, its impact varies widely from state to state.
While some regions struggle with access and infrastructure, others have made remarkable strides in literacy, school enrollment, and academic achievement.
This ranking of the Top 10 Most Educated States in Nigeria is by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 2023.
1) Imo State
Imo leads the country with a combination of cultural emphasis on schooling and steady investment in public and private education. The state’s relatively low out-of-school pressures at the upper-secondary level suggest that families and communities are keeping teenagers in classrooms through the tougher senior years. What now matters is reducing late-stage attrition so more students cross the finish line with strong WAEC and vocational outcomes.
A denser network of tertiary options gives graduates multiple paths,university, polytechnic, teacher training or professional certification,without having to relocate far from home. If Imo sustains teacher coaching, early-grade literacy, and exam support in SS1–SS3, it can convert today’s advantage into higher completion and employability over the next decade.
2) Lagos State
Lagos combines scale, choice and reform. A large mix of public and private schools feeds into one of the widest tertiary ecosystems in West Africa. Foundational initiatives in public primaries have improved outcomes, but the pressure of urban life, cost of transport, long commute times and household expenses still show up in senior-secondary retention.
Closing the gap will require more than access. Evening catch-up classes, targeted support for low-income learners, and partnerships with employers for internship-style exposure can keep students motivated. With its vast tertiary options, Lagos is well placed to map clear bridges from SSCE to diplomas, degrees and industry certifications.
3) Ekiti State
Ekiti’s reputation for scholarship is grounded in teacher quality and community support for education. The system succeeds in keeping learners enrolled into senior secondary; the key is strengthening subject mastery and guidance so students do not stumble at the final hurdle.
With a compact tertiary sector, Ekiti can prioritise depth: strong teacher training pathways, focused STEM labs in select schools, and reading interventions in JSS where foundational skills are cemented. A tighter loop between schools, tertiary institutions and local employers would help graduates transition into valued roles within the state’s economy.
4) Rivers State
Rivers posts high literacy outcomes but wrestles with late-stage dropout. Urban migration and the pull of informal work can distract older teens, especially in densely populated areas. Improving senior-secondary retention will hinge on better counselling, exam preparation support, and safer school-to-home transport for students who travel long distances.
The tertiary landscape provides a foundation for skills in engineering, business and health. Targeted scholarships tied to performance, plus stronger TVET options in oil-and-gas-adjacent trades, can keep more youths in the pipeline and align learning with local labour-market needs.
5) Abia State
Abia’s education profile benefits from a strong culture of small enterprise and manufacturing, which values practical skills alongside academics. To lift completion, schools can deepen career guidance so students see a direct path from SSCE to entrepreneurial training, apprenticeships and higher education.
Expanding lab facilities, upgrading libraries, and supporting teachers with ongoing coaching will convert enrolment into learning. With multiple tertiary institutions, Abia can grow niche strengths in technology, accounting, fashion and light manufacturing where student demand and industry needs already intersect.
6) Anambra State
Anambra’s strong commercial base supports a large tertiary ecosystem that attracts students from within and outside the state. The next frontier is completion: ensuring that learners who begin senior secondary stay the course with adequate tutoring in mathematics, sciences and language arts.
Schools that blend academic tracks with entrepreneurship clubs, coding bootcamps and technical workshops can boost engagement. With many tertiary options, the state can formalise transition programmes so SS3 graduates enter diplomas and degrees with fewer remedial gaps and clearer career maps.
7) Edo State
Edo has pursued basic-education reforms that emphasise teacher support and classroom practice, which helps explain progress at the lower levels. The challenge is sustaining momentum into JSS and SSS, where subject complexity rises, and family finances can squeeze attendance.
By strengthening school leadership, boosting continuous assessment, and expanding after-school tutoring, Edo can raise pass rates in core subjects and reduce dropouts. The breadth of tertiary options means students have pathways; the policy task is guiding them along those paths earlier and more consistently.
8) Delta State
Delta’s impressive tertiary footprint signals long-term investment in human capital. Yet many students still leave before exams. Improving transport to schools, expanding bursaries for low-income families and strengthening guidance and counselling can help learners remain enrolled through SS3.
Specialisation will help: more industry-linked programmes in energy, logistics, ICT and creative sectors, plus stronger articulation from technical colleges into polytechnics and universities. When students see visible, attainable next steps, they are more likely to finish secondary school.
9) Osun State
Osun’s history of experimenting with ed-tech and textbook access broadened participation at basic levels. The task now is to tighten the feedback loop between what happens in class and what students actually learn. Schools that prioritise reading fluency by the end of Primary 3, combined with regular assessment and teacher mentoring, tend to post gains that carry into JSS.
Improving JSS-to-SSS transition rates will require targeted support for vulnerable households and a focus on practical science labs, not just theory. As families gain confidence that schooling translates into real skills, attendance and persistence typically rise.
10) Akwa Ibom State
Akwa Ibom’s free and compulsory education policy widened access, especially in rural communities. The next phase is quality: ensuring that time in school produces measurable improvements in reading, writing and numeracy. Teacher development, better classroom materials, and early-grade interventions will have the highest payoff.
