Nigerians studying in the US have increased by 3,200, reaching a record high of 17,600 students
Since 2001, the 2022/23 academic year has recorded the highest number of Nigerians studying in US' higher institutions, adding 3,202 students to the previous academic year to reach 17,640. This represents the biggest addition in the time period.
As of 2024, 149 private universities are accredited by the National Universities Commission. Southern Nigeria houses 62%, with the South West leading at 47 universities, while the North East has the fewest, with just 5 (3%).
Bayelsa, Gombe, and Katsina States have the fewest accredited universities — five each — of the 274 in Nigeria in 2024. Ogun leads with 19, followed closely by Abuja (17) and Delta (15).
Nomadic primary school enrolment in Nigeria remains most prevalent in the North West, with over 503,000 children enroled in 2021, significantly higher than any other region. Enrolment numbers have shown gradual improvement across most regions.
Nearly one in two accredited universities in Nigeria is located in the South West or North Central. The South West has the highest number of private and federal universities, with a total of 71 universities, while the North East has the fewest, with 21 universities.
The University of Ibadan remained Nigeria's only university for twelve years before the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was established in 1960. Eleven universities followed between 1962 and 1975, increasing the number to 13 federal government-owned universities.
The first state university was established in Rivers State in 1979, marking the beginning of the displacement of the federal government's ownership monopoly. Six state and nine federal universities were added in the 1980s, with four federal universities added in 1988, the year of the first Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.
While state-owned universities have grown steadily, slightly outpacing those owned by the federal government, private universities have displaced both, increasing from three institutions in 1999 to 33 in 2007, 60 in 2015, and 149 in 2024. There are now more private universities than federal and state universities combined.
Nigeria occupies the 30th spot globally in the English Proficiency Index, achieving a score of 557, just behind Kenya (581) and South Africa (594). As one of Africa's linguistic leaders, this ranking highlights Nigeria’s strength in English proficiency, a vital skill driving communication, business, and education across the continent.
This data comes from the EF English Proficiency Index, which aggregated the test results of 2.2m adults from 113 countries and regions. Countries where English is the primary native spoken language are not included in this ranking. Ranks are determined by each country’s average score in the EF Standard English Test (EF SET).
