Education in Imo, Nigeria: official figures
5.1% of Imo's 0.97 million school-age children (6 to 15) were not attending school, about 50,000 children; joint 2nd lowest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 28.7%).
How many adults in Imo have little schooling?
4.1% of people in Imo are poor and live in a household where no adult has completed six years of school, and 6.5% are poor and have a child two or more years behind at school.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow do Imo students do in WAEC exams?
85.0% of the 46,518 public-school candidates in Imo who sat the 2021 WASSCE gained five or more credits including mathematics and English; 4th highest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 71.4%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow many schools are there in Imo?
The Federal Ministry of Education lists 4,279 schools in Imo for 2024/25, 1,943 public and 2,336 private (55% private).
Source: Federal Ministry of Education · saved copyMore figures
- Only 64% of Imo'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 Imo compares with other states
School-age children (6-15) out of school (2021/22)
Imo ranks 36 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School-age children (6-15) out of school |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Enugu | 7.5% |
| 32 | Bayelsa | 7.4% |
| 33 | Lagos | 6.4% |
| 34 | Abia | 5.6% |
| 35 | Ekiti | 5.1% |
| 36 | Imo | 5.1% |
| 37 | Anambra | 2.9% |
WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) (2021)
Imo ranks 4 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abia | 90.6% |
| 2 | Rivers | 88.4% |
| 3 | Delta | 88.1% |
| 4 | Imo | 85.0% |
| 5 | Bayelsa | 84.8% |
| 6 | Cross River | 82.8% |
| 7 | Edo | 80.3% |
More on Imo: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Nigeria
Sources
- Federal Ministry of Education: Imo Education Statistics 2024: Annual School Census 2024/25 (Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 148647cc8a25…)
- 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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