Top 30 Most Educated States in Nigeria (Shocking 2026 Data)

Let’s be real. If you spend enough time on Nigerian Twitter, you will eventually see a fierce debate about which region is the smartest. It happens every time WAEC results drop. People brag. People argue. But education in this country is about much more than just passing an exam. It is the ultimate currency. It directly shapes the economic power, tech innovation, and overall wealth of entire regions.

If you want to know which states are truly leading the pack, you are in the right place. Today, we are looking at the Top 30 most educated states in Nigeria. This is not just a boring list of WAEC scores. We are doing a deep dive into the hidden factors—like booming tech ecosystems and deep rural-urban divides—that truly define an educated state.

Quick Summary

The South-West and South-East heavily dominate the top ranking spots.
Historical policies and early missionary schools gave certain regions an untouchable advantage.
Rural-urban divides drastically pull down state rankings.
Literacy rates, tech hubs, and tertiary enrollment dictate the top 30 most educated states in Nigeria.

Why Certain Regions Dominate

Why do some states consistently produce more graduates? It is not an accident. It comes down to history.

Decades ago, early exposure to Western education changed everything. Christian missionaries settled heavily in the South-West and South-East. They built schools. They trained teachers. This gave these regions a massive head start.

Then came bold political policies. In the South-West, leaders like Obafemi Awolowo introduced free primary education in the 1950s. Families didn’t have to choose between feeding their kids and sending them to school. This early foundation created a generational wealth of knowledge. Today, that head start translates to thriving tech hubs and high literacy rates. It is a massive advantage that generic blogs often skip over.

What is the Criteria for Ranking the Top 30 States?

How exactly do we measure this? We don’t just guess. Ranking the top 30 most educated states in Nigeria requires looking at specific, measurable data points.

Here is what matters most:

Adult Literacy Rate: The percentage of people over 15 who can read and write, a metric closely monitored by organizations like the World Bank.
WAEC and JAMB Performance: The volume of students passing core subjects with credits.
Tertiary Enrollment: How many residents actually go on to universities or polytechnics.
Digital Literacy & Tech Ecosystems: The presence of tech hubs and digital skill adoption.

Top 30 Most Educated States in Nigeria

Let’s get into the data. Keep in mind that population sizes heavily influence these percentages. A state with a massive population might have a lower percentage but a higher actual number of educated residents.

Here is the list of the 30 states we will cover:

Imo State
Lagos State
Ekiti State
Rivers State
Abia State
Anambra State
Osun State
Edo State
Enugu State
Delta State
Bayelsa State
Kogi State
Ogun State
Ondo State
Oyo State
Cross River State
Akwa Ibom State
Federal Capital Territory (Abuja)
Ebonyi State
Benue State
Taraba State
Plateau State
Kwara State
Nasarawa State
Kaduna State
Kano State
Niger State
Adamawa State
Gombe State
Borno State

1. Imo State

Imo consistently tops the charts. Education is a massive priority for families here. Parents will sacrifice anything to pay school fees.

Estimated Population: 5.4 million
Educated Population: 96%

2. Lagos State

Lagos is the economic engine of West Africa. It pulls talent from everywhere. It has the highest concentration of tech hubs and corporate jobs.

Estimated Population: 15+ million
Educated Population: 96%

3. Ekiti State

Ekiti is famous for producing professors. Academic achievement is deeply embedded in the local culture and highly respected.

Estimated Population: 3.3 million
Educated Population: 95%

4. Rivers State

Thanks to the oil and gas industry, Rivers has heavy investments in urban schooling. Port Harcourt remains a major educational hub.

Estimated Population: 7.3 million
Educated Population: 95%

5. Abia State

Abia pairs strong commercial enterprise with high academic focus. Aba is known for business, but the schools are top-tier.

Estimated Population: 3.8 million
Educated Population: 94%

6. Anambra State

When looking at the top 30 most educated states in Nigeria, Anambra stands out. Families here invest heavily in elite private education.

Estimated Population: 5.5 million
Educated Population: 92%

7. Osun State

Osun benefits greatly from early free education policies. The state has a strong, historic network of public schools.

Estimated Population: 4.7 million
Educated Population: 90%

8. Edo State

Edo state has aggressively reformed its basic education sector recently. The EdoBEST initiative is a prime example of this success.

Estimated Population: 4.2 million
Educated Population: 90%

9. Enugu State

Enugu is a historic academic city. It houses some of the oldest and most respected universities in the country.

Estimated Population: 4.4 million
Educated Population: 89%

10. Delta State

Delta balances a heavy industrial presence with a massive output of university graduates every year.

Estimated Population: 5.6 million
Educated Population: 88%

11. Bayelsa State

Despite its difficult riverine terrain, Bayelsa has made massive strides in adult literacy. State scholarships have helped immensely.

Estimated Population: 2.3 million
Educated Population: 87%

12. Kogi State

Kogi serves as a bridge between the North and South. It has a high density of tertiary institutions.

Estimated Population: 4.4 million
Educated Population: 85%

13. Ogun State

Ogun has the highest number of universities in Nigeria. This naturally boosts its overall literacy rate.

Estimated Population: 5.2 million
Educated Population: 85%

14. Ondo State

Ondo is another beneficiary of the South-West’s strong academic heritage. Even the rural areas maintain decent primary schools.

Estimated Population: 4.6 million
Educated Population: 84%

15. Oyo State

Oyo is home to the premier university, U.I. It remains a massive center for academic research and learning.

Estimated Population: 7.8 million
Educated Population: 82%

16. Cross River State

Cross River is known for tourism, but its urban centers boast strong educational infrastructure and high literacy.

Estimated Population: 3.8 million
Educated Population: 81%

17. Akwa Ibom State

Akwa Ibom offers free and compulsory basic education. This single policy dramatically improved their standing on this list.

Estimated Population: 5.4 million
Educated Population: 80%

18. Federal Capital Territory (Abuja)

Abuja attracts the working class and elites. Because of this migration, the literacy rate is exceptionally high in the city center.

Estimated Population: 3.5 million
Educated Population: 80%

19. Ebonyi State

Ebonyi was once lagging behind its South-East peers. Recent infrastructure drives have rapidly closed that gap.

Estimated Population: 2.8 million
Educated Population: 78%

20. Benue State

Benue is the food basket of the nation. It also has a very strong culture of producing civil servants and teachers.

Estimated Population: 5.7 million
Educated Population: 74%

21. Taraba State

Taraba faces geographical challenges. Still, its urban centers push hard for secondary school completion.

Estimated Population: 3.0 million
Educated Population: 71%

22. Plateau State

Jos is a historic city with deep missionary roots. The educational culture here remains strong despite security challenges.

Estimated Population: 4.2 million
Educated Population: 70%

23. Kwara State

Kwara balances Northern and Southern educational cultures. Ilorin is a massive hub for university students.

Estimated Population: 3.1 million
Educated Population: 69%

24. Nasarawa State

Proximity to Abuja helps Nasarawa tremendously. Many workers live here, boosting the demand for quality private schools.

Estimated Population: 2.5 million
Educated Population: 65%

25. Kaduna State

Kaduna has arguably the best educational infrastructure in the North. It is a historical center of learning and military training.

Estimated Population: 8.2 million
Educated Population: 60%

26. Kano State

Kano has a massive population. While total graduate numbers are very high, the overall percentage struggles against the sheer number of residents.

Estimated Population: 13+ million
Educated Population: 58%

27. Niger State

Niger is the largest state by landmass. This makes reaching remote villages with quality schools incredibly difficult.

Estimated Population: 5.5 million
Educated Population: 53%

28. Adamawa State

Adamawa has strong tertiary institutions in Yola. However, rural literacy rates bring the overall average down.

Estimated Population: 4.2 million
Educated Population: 51%

29. Gombe State

Gombe is making rapid progress in the North-East. The state government is heavily funding public school rehabilitation.

Estimated Population: 3.2 million
Educated Population: 48%

30. Borno State

Borno has faced severe disruptions due to conflict. Despite this, rebuilding efforts are creating mega-schools to get kids back in class.

Estimated Population: 5.8 million
Educated Population: 45%

What Drops a State’s Ranking?

So, what actually holds a state back? It is usually the rural-urban divide.

Cities like Lagos and Abuja have everything. They have fast internet, great teachers, and modern facilities. But travel two hours into the rural villages, and the story changes completely. Poor household income forces kids to drop out and work on farms. Distance is a massive killer. If a child has to walk five kilometers to the nearest classroom, they will eventually stop going.

There is also a severe lack of qualified teachers in these remote areas. Nobody wants to be posted to a village with no electricity. This is exactly where Universal Basic Education (UBE) policies step in to try and fix the gap. Yet, Nigeria still battles a massive out-of-school children crisis. It heavily drags down the numbers for otherwise highly populated states.

That is the full breakdown. The top 30 most educated states in Nigeria reveal a lot about our history, our economy, and our future.

States in the South-West and South-East continue to ride the wave of early educational investments. Meanwhile, Northern states are battling geographical and population challenges to close the gap. Education is not just about reading a book. It is about access to a better life.

Where does your state rank on this list, and do you think your state government is doing enough to improve digital literacy? Let me know in the comments!

FAQs

Which state is the most educated in Nigeria? Imo State currently holds the top spot for the highest literacy rate and overall percentage of educated residents.

Why do South-Western states rank so high? South-Western states benefit from historical free primary education policies introduced in the 1950s. This created a strong, multi-generational foundation for learning.

How does the rural-urban divide affect education? Children in rural areas often lack access to qualified teachers, modern facilities, and close-by schools. This severely drops the overall literacy percentage of states with large rural populations.