From 2012 to 2022, Nigeria's government expenditure on education decreased from 0.55% of GDP to 0.35%

Key takeaways:

  • Throughout the decade, Nigeria saw a consistent decline in education funding as a percentage of GDP.
  • The most substantial allocation occurred in 2012 at 0.55% of GDP.
  • The lowest allocation was noted in 2022 at 0.35% of GDP.
  • There was a brief recovery from 2017 to 2018 before the downward trend resumed in 2019.
  • Over the decade, the overall reduction in education spending relative to GDP was approximately 36.5%.
  • Nigeria's education spending as a percentage of GDP is significantly lower than the UNESCO recommendation of 4-6% for developing nations.

The percentage of Nigeria's government expenditure on education as part of its GDP displayed an alarming declining pattern from 2012 to 2022. In 2012, the country dedicated 0.55% of its GDP to education, the peak in the observed data. By 2022, this number had decreased to merely 0.35%, marking the lowest point and a notable drop of around 36.5% over the decade.

The data shows a consistent decline each year, with only brief interruptions to this trend. Between 2016 and 2018, there was a slight recovery, with education spending rising from 0.39% to 0.42% of GDP. However, this increase was short-lived, as expenditure fell sharply to 0.36% in 2019 and remained at similarly low figures until 2022.

Source:

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

Period:

2012-2022
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
In 2023, Kiribati took the lead in global educational investment by allocating 16.4% of its budget
Key Takeaways:
  • In 2023, Kiribati spent the largest % of its GDP on education, amounting to 16.39%.
  • Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu each allocated over 10% of their GDP to education.
  • Bolivia and the Solomon Islands each directed around 8.3% of their GDP spending towards education.
  • The top ten countries dedicated approximately 6.6% to 16.4% of their GDP to education.
Only 9 of 46 sub-Saharan African countries are projected to meet the primary school teacher demand by 2030
  • Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of countries (37) expected to face a teacher shortage at the [primary levels.
  • In Latin America & the Caribbean, 18 countries are expected to have enough primary teachers.
  • Europe & Northern America is one of the best-performing after Latin America & the Caribbean, with 17 countries expected to meet primary teachers' demand.
  • If this trend continues, millions of children will struggle to access quality primary education, reinforcing cycles of poverty and limited economic mobility.
  • A lack of teachers doesn’t just mean fewer classrooms; it also means overburdened educators, lower student engagement, and declining educational outcomes.
Only 30 out of 197 countries are anticipated to have enough secondary school teachers by 2030
  • Sub-Saharan Africa faces the biggest shortage, with 40 countries struggling to fill teaching positions in secondary schools.
  • Europe & Northern America (33 countries) and Latin America & the Caribbean (29 countries) are also at risk, showing that the teacher crisis isn’t just a developing-world issue.
  • Eastern Asia and Central Asia don’t have a single country expected to have enough secondary school teachers, indicating a major educational gap in these regions.
  • The impact of teacher shortages goes beyond education—overcrowded classrooms, exhausted teachers, and declining educational quality will harm future economic and workforce development.
  • Solving this crisis requires urgent action, from better teacher training to improved salaries and working conditions to attract more people to the profession.
Sub-Saharan Africa needs over 15 million more primary and secondary school teachers by 2030 to address teacher shortages
  • Sub-Saharan Africa faces the most severe teacher shortage, needing over 15 million educators by 2030, more than any other region.
  • Southern Asia has the second-highest demand, requiring 7.78 million teachers, highlighting a major education gap in fast-growing economies.
  • Europe & Northern America also need 4.83 million teachers, proving that even developed regions struggle with teacher shortages.
  • South-Eastern Asia (4.54M), Northern Africa & Western Asia (4.26M), and Eastern Asia (3.28M) are all battling significant shortages, showing a global education crisis.
  • Even smaller regions like Oceania (0.28M) and Central Asia (0.75M) require thousands of teachers, emphasising that no region is immune to this issue.
  • If action isn’t taken now, millions of children will face overcrowded classrooms and lower educational quality, potentially stunting economic growth and workforce readiness for future generations.
In 2024, 17% of private university graduates in Nigeria’s top ten earned first-class degrees
In 2024, the top ten universities in Nigeria graduated 3,047 first-class students. Seventeen per cent of private university students in Nigeria earned first-class degrees, compared to 3% in federal/state universities. The University of Benin convocated the most first-class students (385), while the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) had the least, with 122. Covenant University had the highest proportion, with one in five students graduating with a first class.
Bauchi and Yobe have no private universities, while eight states account for 50% of Nigeria's total
Ogun State is the top location for private universities, with 16 universities, while the top eight states collectively account for 50% of Nigeria's 149 private universities. Bauchi and Yobe are the only states with no private universities.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved