Education in Cross River, Nigeria: official figures
7.6% of Cross River's 1.12 million school-age children (6 to 15) were not attending school, about 90,000 children; 8th lowest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 28.7%).
How many adults in Cross River have little schooling?
5.6% of people in Cross River are poor and live in a household where no adult has completed six years of school, and 14.3% are poor and have a child two or more years behind at school.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow do Cross River students do in WAEC exams?
82.8% of the 36,706 public-school candidates in Cross River who sat the 2021 WASSCE gained five or more credits including mathematics and English; 6th highest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 71.4%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow many schools are there in Cross River?
The Federal Ministry of Education lists 3,907 schools in Cross River for 2024/25, 1,903 public and 2,004 private (51% private).
Source: Federal Ministry of Education · saved copyMore figures
- Almost none of Cross River'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 Cross River compares with other states
School-age children (6-15) out of school (2021/22)
Cross River ranks 30 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School-age children (6-15) out of school |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Kogi | 10.2% |
| 28 | Delta | 9.3% |
| 29 | Rivers | 7.7% |
| 30 | Cross River | 7.6% |
| 31 | Enugu | 7.5% |
| 32 | Bayelsa | 7.4% |
| 33 | Lagos | 6.4% |
WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) (2021)
Cross River ranks 6 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Delta | 88.1% |
| 4 | Imo | 85.0% |
| 5 | Bayelsa | 84.8% |
| 6 | Cross River | 82.8% |
| 7 | Edo | 80.3% |
| 8 | Anambra | 80.2% |
| 9 | Kaduna | 79.2% |
More on Cross River: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Nigeria
Sources
- Federal Ministry of Education: Cross River Education Statistics 2024: Annual School Census 2024/25 (Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5c2d0a3722e4…)
- 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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