There are over 250 ethnic teams in Nigeria and so they have their distinctive tradition, values, and relationship with training.
Some tribes worth training, and a few others do not, and this inequality exists notably between the southern and northern components of the nation. Regardless of many years of nationwide funding in training, Nigeria’s literacy and training ranges are nonetheless fairly low and don’t even rank among countries with the highest IQs globally.
In 2022, Nigeria’s nationwide literacy charge reached 69%, in accordance with the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (NBS), a modest enchancment since 2007. However this progress hides huge regional and tribal disparities. While states like Imo and Lagos boast literacy levels as high as 96%, states like Yobe and Zamfara nonetheless battle far beneath the nationwide common.
Southern tribes constantly lead, whereas many northern communities proceed to face instructional boundaries. Right here’s the highest 10 most educated tribes, ranked by youth literacy (ages 15–24) and tertiary training charges:
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Prime 10 Most Educated Tribes in Nigeria
Right here’s a chart from Intel level summarising the highest 10 most educated tribes in Nigeria as of 2024:
1. Igbo
The youth literacy is 74.2% for males and 73.1% for females, and these figures rank high for each genders amongst all tribes. The Igbo tribe in Nigeria is famend for its enterprise acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. Nonetheless, they’re additionally extremely educated and have made important contributions to the nation’s instructional panorama. They’ve a robust emphasis on training and imagine within the energy of data to empower their group.
2. Edo
The youth literacy for males in Edo is 74.2% and 59.56% for females. The Edo tribe, identified for his or her wealthy civilisation and excessive migration charges, can be recognised for his or her dedication to training. They place a robust emphasis on the worth of data and studying, making them one of many most educated tribes in Nigeria. Training among the many Edo tribe goes past tutorial achievements. It’s also intertwined with the preservation and promotion of their wealthy cultural heritage.
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3. Yoruba
The youth literacy for Yoruba males is 70.3% and 56.8% for the females. The Yoruba tribe in Nigeria is extensively recognised as one of the educated tribes within the nation. They’ve an extended historical past of embracing Western training, and consequently, have achieved outstanding instructional milestones. The Yoruba tribe has a big variety of professors inside their group, and these people function inspiring function fashions to the youthful generations.
4. Tiv
The youth literacy for Tiv males is 68.4% and 37.4% for females. There’s a large disparity in training between the genders. Tiv isa serious ethnic group in Nigeria, primarily residing in Benue State and neighbouring areas. Traditionally, they relied on oral custom and sensible actions for data transmission, with ladies typically having much less entry to formal Western training. Whereas Western training has opened up alternatives for Tiv ladies, these challenges stay.
5. Ijaw
The youth literacy for Ijaw males is 63.3% and 47.7% for females. The Ijaw tribe, distinguished within the Niger Delta area, is just not solely politically influential but in addition extremely educated. With a robust emphasis on training, the Ijaw people have produced a big variety of educated people who play important roles in society.
6. Hausa
The youth literacy for Hausa males is 63.3% and 47.7% for ladies. Northern states have traditionally lagged because of restricted colonial-era education within the North. Current enhancements solely started by grownup and rural literacy initiatives. This tribe is thought for its political dominance, and regardless of their cultural and inhabitants challenges, those that pursue training inside the Hausa tribe have confirmed their mental capabilities.
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7. Ibibio
The youth literacy for males in Ibibio is 57.7% and for females, 62.2%. The Ibibio persons are discovered within the South-South area of Nigeria in Akwa Ibom State, Cross River State, and Japanese Abia State (Arochukwu and Ukwa East LGAs). This tribe benefited from group and authorities literacy applications, which have proven robust enhancements in literacy throughout each genders over time.
8. Different Ethnicities
Different ethnicities like Urhobo / Itsekiri / Isoko / Calabar, and lots of others, fall below this class. For instance, Urhobo (Delta), Itsekiri (Western Niger Delta), Isoko, and Calabar/Efik communities have historic ties to early training by way of missionaries/commerce.
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9. Kanuri
The youth literacy for Kanuri males is 42% and 22.7% for females. The Kanuri folks, primarily positioned in northeastern Nigeria, have a posh relationship with training, influenced by their cultural values and the introduction of recent education. Whereas training is valued, some Kanuri communities have skilled a disconnect between conventional Kanuri tradition and the formal college curriculum, resulting in resistance to trendy training in sure areas.
10. Fulani
The youth literacy for Fulani males is 26.2% and 13.8% for females. This tribe is historically nomadic, which makes formal training entry harder.
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Training Developments (2000 – 2024)
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2000–2004: The Igbo and Yoruba led in literacy, whereas the Hausa and Fulani lagged. Nigeria’s literacy charge in 2003 was 54.77%.
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2005–2009: The literacy charge rose to 70.20%. The speed of enhance for the Edo and Tiv peoples was spectacular, whereas that of the Fulani and Kanuri nonetheless lagged far behind.
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2010–2014: Nigeria’s literacy charge in 2010 was 68.11%. Igbo and Yoruba continued to steer, whereas Edo and Tiv confirmed enhancements with focused programmes, however Fulani and Kanuri remained deprived.
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2015–2019: By 2018, the Fulanis noticed positive factors of about 35%, aided by authorities programmes directed at nomadic and rural populations.
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2020–2024: Nigeria’s literacy charge was 77.62% in 2021 however declined to 59.57% by 2024. The Igbo and Yoruba remained on the high, whereas the Fulani and Kanuri improved.
In conclusion, Igbo, Edo, and Yoruba high Nigeria’s instructional rankings.
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