Education in Rivers, Nigeria: official figures
7.7% of Rivers' 1.74 million school-age children (6 to 15) were not attending school, about 130,000 children; 9th lowest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 28.7%).
How many adults in Rivers have little schooling?
1.1% of people in Rivers are poor and live in a household where no adult has completed six years of school, and 11.3% are poor and have a child two or more years behind at school.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow do Rivers students do in WAEC exams?
88.4% of the 82,736 public-school candidates in Rivers who sat the 2021 WASSCE gained five or more credits including mathematics and English; 2nd highest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 71.4%).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow many schools are there in Rivers?
The Federal Ministry of Education lists 5,603 schools in Rivers for 2024/25, 1,841 public and 3,762 private (67% private).
Source: Federal Ministry of Education · saved copyMore figures
- Almost none of Rivers' schools returned the 2024/25 Annual School Census, so enrolment and class-size figures are incomplete. Source: Federal Ministry of Education · saved copy
How Rivers compares with other states
School-age children (6-15) out of school (2021/22)
Rivers ranks 29 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | School-age children (6-15) out of school |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Akwa Ibom | 10.6% |
| 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% |
WASSCE: 5 credits incl. maths and English (public schools) (2021)
Rivers ranks 2 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 Rivers: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Nigeria
Sources
- Federal Ministry of Education: Rivers Education Statistics 2024: Annual School Census 2024/25 (Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 581e19be9eae…)
- 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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