At least 13.7 million learners were enrolled in private schools across Nigeria in 2022, according to published data from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The figures, released in the 2022 Digest of Basic Education Statistics, reflect enrolment in Early Childhood Care and Development Education (ECCDE), primary, and junior secondary schools (JSS) operated by private institutions across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The total number of pupils enrolled in Nigerian schools, both public and private, stood at 47 million, with over 171,000 schools and 1.6 million teachers nationwide, according to UBEC’s records.
Urban southern states led the enrolment figures. Lagos topped the list with 1,272,733 learners, followed by Kano (941,596), Oyo (655,487), and Ogun (653,770). Combined, these four states accounted for over 3.5 million learners, more than a quarter of the national private school population. This trend underscores what experts interpret as growing parental preference in urban centres for private education, which many perceive to offer smaller class sizes, better teacher commitment, and greater learning accountability.
In contrast, enrolment in private schools remained lowest in parts of the North, including Sokoto (75,741), Yobe (90,990), and Gombe (137,492), highlighting deep-seated regional disparities in educational access, affordability, and infrastructure.
A gender-based breakdown shows 3.88 million children enrolled in ECCDE (1.97 million boys and 1.92 million girls), 7.48 million in primary schools (3.77 million boys and 3.71 million girls), and 2.32 million in junior secondary schools, where girls (1.22 million) slightly outnumbered boys (1.10 million). This suggests steady, if uneven, progress in female education, especially in urban southern regions.
While these numbers indicate a strong private education presence, they also raise concerns about the structural deficiencies in Nigeria’s public basic education system. Education analysts argue that the surge in private enrolment is a response to declining public trust in government schools.
According to Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the former Executive Secretary of UBEC, in an interview with The Nation online, public schools are grappling with a massive shortage of qualified teachers. He disclosed that while 694,078 teachers are needed to meet demand at the primary level, only 499,202 are currently in place leaving a shortfall of nearly 195,000. He attributed this deficit partly to the unequal distribution of teachers, which often favours urban schools at the expense of rural communities.
Bobboyi also pointed to widespread infrastructure collapse. As of 2022, Nigeria required an additional 907,769 classrooms at the primary level and 200,085 more at the junior secondary level. He reported that 40 per cent of classrooms were in poor condition and that many students still learn without basic furniture or access to toilets, especially in public ECCDE and primary schools.
Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, Vice Chancellor of the African School of Economics, called for a comprehensive overhaul of the system. He noted that restoring the quality of public education requires investment in physical structures, attracting the best minds to teaching, reviving the inspectorate system, and integrating technical, vocational, and civic education into the curriculum. He also emphasised the need for better teacher salaries and regular training and retraining to sustain motivation and performance.
Supporting this view, Mrs. Suliyat Sanusi, a parent and educationist, urged the government to enforce proper standards in teacher recruitment, implement modern training methods, and create systems for monitoring learning outcomes. She noted that feedback from parents and students should be incorporated into education policy to ensure relevance and responsiveness.
Despite available funds, many states have failed to access key financial support. Bobboyi revealed that over ₦135 billion in UBEC matching grants remained un-accessed between 2020 and 2023 due to states’ failure to meet the required conditions. In 2023 alone, nine states and the FCT had not accessed their allocations. While the North-West zone reportedly achieved 100% access, the South-South followed closely at 97.92%.
To address the funding gap, Bobboyi stressed the importance of private sector involvement in the delivery of basic education. He said the government alone cannot meet the massive demands for quality education and called on private entities to help address Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
A representative of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr. Bala Yusuf Yinusa, warned that if nothing changes, 84 million children across Africa could be out of school by 2030, and 300 million may lack access to basic education, primarily due to decades of under investment.
In light of the data and expert warnings, stakeholders have urged governments at all levels to scale up investment in public schools, enforce stricter regulation of low-quality private institutions, and bridge regional gaps in access and learning outcomes. With Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) in view, the numbers offer a clear call to action to strengthen public education or risk widening inequality for generations to come
