Number of Schools in Nigeria (2021)

According to Statista (July 2021), Nigeria had 181,215 registered primary and secondary schools nationwide.

Breakdown & Context

Includes public and private institutions
Primary: ~6–11 years; Junior Secondary: 3 years; Senior Secondary: 3 years
Data sourced from Federal Ministry of Education / Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) returns

Unregistered schools: Thousands of informal/Islamic (Almajiri), community, and low-cost private schools operate outside official counts.
Tertiary excluded: Universities (~200), polytechnics, colleges of education not included.
Data lag: 2021 figure; 2022–23 UBEC audits suggest growth but also closures from insecurity (North) and COVID.
Quality variance: Registration ≠ functionality; infrastructure, teacher, and learning gaps persist.

For current figures, consult UBEC's National Personnel Audit or the Nigeria Digest of Education Statistics.

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