Education is an important tool needed to build human capacity in a country. Some of the most highly-developed and economically-vibrant nations of the world have a much higher percentage of educated people than less-developed countries.
Nigeria is still a developing country having educated citizens that constitute a fairly large part of its population. The educated citizens in Nigeria are spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with some states having a much higher number of educated people than the others.
So which state is the most “educated” in Nigeria? This article has been written to provide a detailed answer to this question, and you’ll find this answer below.
Which State is the “Most Educated in Nigeria?
Imo is the most educated state in Nigeria. It has a 96.43% literacy rate, which is the highest among the 36 states of Nigeria.
Imo State is located in southeast Nigeria and has Owerri as its capital. Based on the high level of educational advancement in Imo State, it’s found worthy of being the most educated state not only in the southeast of Nigeria but the whole of Nigeria.
Based on statistics, the major factors that made Imo State the most educated in Nigeria are:
- It has the highest percentage of BSc holders among the 36 states
- It has the highest percentage of graduate degree holders among the 36 states
- The available universities in the state have a higher percentage of quality compared to other states
The most notable tertiary institutions of learning in Imo State are:
- Federal University Of Technology, Owerri [FUTO]
- Imo State University (IMSU)
- Eastern Palm University
- Federal Polytechnic, Nekede
- Imo State Polytechnic
- Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri
- Technological skills Acquisition Institute, Orlu.
Adding to its prestigious tertiary institutions, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, has quite a number of quality primary and secondary schools (both public and private).
In a bid to sustain its educational advancement and maintain its position as the most educated state in Nigeria, the former governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha proposed and commenced the establishment of six new higher institutions of learning in 2018, which will be completed by successive governments. The six new institutions are:
- University of Engineering
- University of Agriculture
- Aboh Mbaise
- Ehime Polytechnic
- Onuimo
- Ihitte Uboma College of Education
Which state has the most professors in Nigeria?
Ekiti State has the most professors in Nigeria. It is a well-known fact in the country that the indigenes of Ekiti love to read. With that said, it is uncommon to find an Ekiti person that isn’t interested in academics. This inherent interest in academics has culminated in Ekiti state currently having the highest number of professors in Nigeria.
Top 10 most educated states in Nigeria
These are the top 10 most educated states in Nigeria and their literacy rate:
- Imo State – 96.4%
- Lagos State – 96.3%
- Anambra State – 95.7%
- Oyo State – 94.2%
- Rivers State – 92.11%
- Ogun State – 90.5%
- Enugu State – 90%
- Delta State – 89.5%
- Akwa-Ibom State – 88.9%
- Osun State – 88.3%
Which state is more educated in Igbo land?
Imo State is more educated than any other state in the Igbo land of Nigeria. Imo State has 96.43% literacy rate which is higher than that of Anambra State (95.7%) and Enugu State (90%).
Most educated state in Southwest Nigeria
The most educated state in southwest Nigeria is Lagos State – which also is the second most educated state in Nigeria. Lagos State has a literacy level of 96.3%, more than that of Oyo State (94.2%), Ogun State (90.5%), and Osun State (88.3%) respectively.
Which state in Nigeria has the highest illiteracy rate?
Yobe State is the state with the highest illiteracy rate in Nigeria. Yobe State, located in the northeast region of Nigeria, has 7.23% literacy level. The other states are Katsina State (10.36%), Sokoto State (15.01%), Bauchi State (19.26%), Zamfara State (19.16 %), Kebbi State (20.51%), and Niger State (22.88%) respectively.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve been able to let you know that Imo State is the most educated state in Nigeria and we’ve been able to states the reasons for that. The literacy level in Imo State is 96.43% which is the highest in the country followed by Lagos State (96.30%) and Anambra State (95.70%).