Children in early education in Nigeria 2018, by gender and school ownership

In the 2018/2019 school year, 8.6 million children in Nigeria were enrolled in pre-primary education or Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE). The ECCDE is offered by both private and public entities. In primary schools, the number of pupils added up to over 28 million as of the 2017/2018 academic year. Moreover, institutions designed for primary education amounted to approximately 116.9 thousand, most of which were concentrated in Lagos. Although primary education is free and compulsory in Nigeria, a section of the population had never attended school as of 2020.

Secondary school education

Nigerian students attend junior and senior secondary schools after obtaining primary education. However, instead of secondary school, individuals can complete secondary vocational and post-secondary vocational training. In the 2018/2019 academic year, junior secondary school enrollees reached an approximate total of 7.4 million, the majority of which were boys. In the same year, students receiving senior secondary education amounted to some 5.2 million individuals.

Tertiary education

There were 170 universities in Nigeria as of 2021, which comprised federal, state and private establishments. In 2019, more than 1.8 million undergraduate students were counted in the country. On the other hand, the number of master students reached around 121.7 thousand, the majority of which were men. Moreover, individuals pursuing a Master of Philosophy degree (PhD) in the country totaled around 17.5 thousand.