The number of first-class candidates at the NLS increased by over 100% in 2023
First Class Honours at the Nigerian Law School have been a rarity, but 2023 saw a notable rise. At 251, it is the highest number of First Class candidates in a decade, 2x the number in 2022.
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.
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 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, 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.
