Foundational numeracy skills in Nigeria: among children aged 7-14, numeracy skills split along a north-south line

Key Takeaways

  • Lagos recorded an 82.3% numeracy rate, compared with 0.8% in Jigawa.
  • Nigeria’s foundational numeracy rate was 25.3% in 2021.
  • Fifteen of the 18 jurisdictions above the national average were in the South.
  • In 11 northern states, fewer than 12% of children had foundational numeracy skills.
  • Taraba’s numeracy estimate was 9.5%, with a 95% confidence interval of 6.0%–14.7%.

Where a child lives in Nigeria is closely tied to whether they have foundational numeracy skills.

In Lagos, 82.3% of children aged 7–14 had foundational numeracy skills in 2021. In Jigawa, it was just 0.8%. Across Nigeria, the figure was 25.3%.

Of the 18 jurisdictions above the national figure, 15 were in the South. In 11 northern states, fewer than 12% of children had foundational numeracy skills.

This measures the minimum numeracy standard expected at the Grade 2–3 level, assessed one-on-one with a randomly selected child aged 7–14 per household. The sample includes children who were not in school.

These are survey estimates with margins of error. For example, Taraba's estimate was 9.5%, with a 95% confidence interval of 6.0%–14.7%. Small differences between states may therefore not be statistically meaningful.

Source:

UNICEF

Period:

2021
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