Education in Benue, Nigeria: official figures
18.4% of Benue's 1.65 million school-age children (6 to 15) were not attending school, about 300,000 children; 18th lowest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 28.7%).
How many adults in Benue have little schooling?
10.9% of people in Benue are poor and live in a household where no adult has completed six years of school, and 28.9% are poor and have a child two or more years behind at school.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow do Benue students do in WAEC exams?
45.7% of the 44,297 public-school candidates in Benue who sat the 2021 WASSCE gained five or more credits including mathematics and English; the lowest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 71.4%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow many schools are there in Benue?
The Federal Ministry of Education lists 8,899 schools in Benue for 2024/25, 3,657 public and 5,242 private (59% private).
Source: Federal Ministry of Education · saved copyMore figures
- Only 27% of Benue's schools returned the 2024/25 Annual School Census, so enrolment and class-size figures are incomplete. Source: Federal Ministry of Education · saved copy
How Benue compares with other states
School-age children (6-15) out of school (2021/22)
Benue ranks 20 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School-age children (6-15) out of school |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Adamawa | 21.7% |
| 18 | Oyo | 20.9% |
| 19 | Ogun | 20.5% |
| 20 | Benue | 18.4% |
| 21 | Ebonyi | 16.7% |
| 22 | Ondo | 13.8% |
| 23 | Osun | 12.8% |
WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) (2021)
Benue ranks 37 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Federal Capital Territory | 57.8% |
| 32 | Kwara | 57.2% |
| 33 | Osun | 55.4% |
| 34 | Yobe | 50.4% |
| 35 | Ebonyi | 49.4% |
| 36 | Oyo | 48.1% |
| 37 | Benue | 45.7% |
More on Benue: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Nigeria
Sources
- Federal Ministry of Education: Benue Education Statistics 2024: Annual School Census 2024/25 (Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 781632709499…)
- National Bureau of Statistics: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022), Appendix D tables by state, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 26498590b192…)
- National Bureau of Statistics: Annual Abstract of Statistics 2023, Table 193: WASSCE candidates' performance in public schools by state and sex, 2021, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e033cb20cc2d…)
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