Data from the Federal Ministry of Education paints a concerning picture of education in Northern Nigeria. Not only does the pursuit of education in the region lag behind its southern counterpart, but it also shows signs of potential decline.
Despite accounting for two of the three most populated regions in the country, students from Northern Nigeria, particularly North East and North West, experienced the lowest admission rates into tertiary institutions over six years from 2017 to 2022.
In those six years, there were 3.4 million admissions into tertiary institutions across the country. Interestingly, students from the South made up about 61% of those admissions, significantly overshadowing their northern counterparts.
Even though education has performed historically better in the South compared to the North across the last few decades, the exclusive data shared with the News Digest indicates that the North has more than just historical context to worry about.
In 2017, the North East and North West regions had the least number of students admitted into tertiary institutions, with 75,860 and 84,440 admissions respectively. Shockingly, these numbers dropped to 58,350 and 72,193 respectively by 2022. In contrast, the South West, South East and South-South regions all hit record-high admissions in 2022.
Between 2018 and 2022, the number of admissions in the North East consistently remained below 60,000. Similarly, in the North West, admissions were below 65,000 in 2018 and 2019 until they rose in 2020.
Challenges in Education Admissions in North East and North West
Over a six-year window from 2017 to 2022, 344,903 admissions were recorded in the North East. This region includes states such as Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, some of the region’s most severely impacted by insurgency and banditry.
Notably, these states also bear the highest burden of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), a humanitarian crisis that has continued to grow since the emergence of Boko Haram activity in the region back in 2009.
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While the prevalence of IDPs may partially explain the challenges faced by the education sector in the North East, it does not fully account for the sudden drop in admissions observed between 2017 and 2022.
The North West, representing more than a quarter of the country’s population, closely followed 416,997 admissions during the specified six-year period.
Theoretical Perspectives
In the absence of sufficient data to definitively pinpoint the reasons behind the declining admissions in northern Nigeria, here are four theoretical reasons to explain why:
First, there appears to be a gap in the quality of education delivered in both regions. Since admissions are often determined by students meeting cut-off mark requirements, the education standards in the North are likely trailing behind those experienced in the South.
In light of the first observation, although speculative without concrete data, a sizable number of northern students may be competing for highly sought-after courses. In this case, they may face tough competition from their southern counterparts.
Third and most probable, the harsh economic climate of the north, which was made worse by insurgency and banditry, has placed a financial burden on parents. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult for parents in the north to support their children’s tertiary education.
Finally, the financial burden could discourage children from financially disadvantaged families from pursuing higher education. If fewer students actively apply for courses and choose to vest their interest elsewhere, there would ultimately be a decline in overall admissions numbers.
Comparison: Education Performance in Southern Nigeria
On a region-by-region basis, admission-seeking students from the South West were the most admitted into tertiary institutions from 2017 to 2022, with 851,623 admissions. The South East and South South followed with 614,119 and 594,515 admissions respectively.
Notably, students from Oyo state, in the South West, led the records for the most admissions in that specified six-year period, with 208,945 admissions. This figure was followed closely by Imo, in the South East, with 180,951 admissions, and Ogun state, also in the South West, with 176,872 admissions.
