The Federal Capital Territory has recorded the highest score in a 2026 education quality ranking circulated by StatiSense and attributed to NigeriaPolls, with Lagos State placing second and five South-West states featuring among the 12 entries published.
The FCT scored 62.1 points on a scale of 100, ahead of Lagos with 58.4 and Oyo State with 55.2, according to the ranking shared on X on October 10.
Osun State placed fourth with 54.8 points, followed by Ekiti with 53.1 and Ogun with 52.7. Anambra was the highest-ranked South-East state, taking seventh position with 51.9 points.
Rivers scored 51.2 to rank eighth, followed by Delta with 50.8 and Akwa Ibom with 50.1. Enugu placed 11th with 49.5, while Cross River completed the list in 12th position with 48.9 points.
The ranking listed the following locations and scores:
- Federal Capital Territory — 62.1
- Lagos State — 58.4
- Oyo State — 55.2
- Osun State — 54.8
- Ekiti State — 53.1
- Ogun State — 52.7
- Anambra State — 51.9
- Rivers State — 51.2
- Delta State — 50.8
- Akwa Ibom State — 50.1
- Enugu State — 49.5
- Cross River State — 48.9
The scores are points on a 100-point index, not percentages of students who passed examinations or measures of the proportion of children receiving quality education.
According to descriptions accompanying the ranking, the assessment considered adult literacy, net enrolment, pupil–teacher ratio, school density and examination performance. The published figures suggest that the FCT led the locations listed by 3.7 points over Lagos, while the gap between the highest and lowest entries was 13.2 points.
The geographical distribution shows five South-West states—Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ogun—among the 12 entries. The South-East accounted for Anambra and Enugu, while Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Cross River represented the South-South. The FCT was the only North-Central entry. No states from the North-East or North-West appeared in the published top 12.
However, the ranking should be treated as a published index rather than a definitive verdict on education quality across Nigeria. The detailed dataset, scores for each indicator, weighting system and calculation process behind the October release were not available in the material reviewed for this report.
There is also a methodological issue requiring clarification. While the ranking’s accompanying description identifies five indicators, NigeriaPolls’ publicly available Education Quality Index methodology describes a broader assessment that includes public school quality, teacher availability, learning outcomes, affordability and parental involvement, drawing on official statistics and parent and learner feedback.
The relationship between that broader methodology and the five indicators cited in the ranking is not clear from the available information. Without the specific release documentation, it is difficult to determine how much each indicator contributed to the final scores or whether all locations were assessed using comparable and up-to-date data.
The ranking also does not, by itself, establish why one location scored higher than another. Differences in literacy, school access, teacher availability and examination performance may reflect a range of factors, including disparities between urban and rural communities, public and private schools, and different levels of education.
The figures provide a starting point for comparing the locations included in the index, but a fuller assessment would require the underlying data and methodology, alongside official education statistics, to establish how the scores relate to actual access to schooling and learning outcomes across Nigeria
