Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria

Nigeria: Secondary education, teachers was 912,245 in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
912,245
Change on year
up 5.8%
World rank
8th
of 201 countries
All-time high
912,245
in 2021
All-time low
16,686
in 1977
Years of data
33
1970–2021

Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria, 1970–2021

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1970199520211970: 16.8k1972: 19.6k1977: 16.7k1978: 23.9k1979: 29.4k1980: 34.6k1981: 41.6k1982: 81.5k1983: 89.1k1984: 108.7k1985: 98.5k1986: 105.0k1988: 134.4k1989: 136.7k1990: 141.4k1991: 141.5k1992: 147.5k1993: 151.7k1994: 152.6k1999: 129.0k2000: 132.9k2001: 140.6k2002: 163.0k2003: 180.3k2004: 154.6k2005: 159.3k2006: 202.1k2007: 213.4k2008: 308.3k2010: 390.4k2018: 776.0k2020: 861.9k2021: 912.2k

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 912,245 for secondary education, teachers in 2021. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.

The figure is up 5.8% on the previous year and up 133.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, secondary education, teachers in Nigeria peaked at 912,245 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 16,686, in 1977.

That places Nigeria 8th out of 201 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria, 1970 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1970 16,794 —
1972 19,610 +16.8%
1977 16,686 -14.9%
1978 23,946 +43.5%
1979 29,443 +23.0%
1980 34,629 +17.6%
1981 41,581 +20.1%
1982 81,492 +96.0%
1983 89,076 +9.3%
1984 108,664 +22.0%
1985 98,487 -9.4%
1986 105,003 +6.6%
1988 134,400 +28.0%
1989 136,677 +1.7%
1990 141,377 +3.4%
1991 141,491 +0.1%
1992 147,530 +4.3%
1993 151,722 +2.8%
1994 152,596 +0.6%
1999 129,013 -15.5%
2000 132,884 +3.0%
2001 140,631 +5.8%
2002 162,960 +15.9%
2003 180,278 +10.6%
2004 154,594 -14.2%
2005 159,283 +3.0%
2006 202,082 +26.9%
2007 213,366 +5.6%
2008 308,311 +44.5%
2010 390,427 +26.6%
2018 776,048 +98.8%
2020 861,872 +11.1%
2021 912,245 +5.8%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 912,245 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 51,488, 17.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 912,245 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30,714, 29.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2018 +98.8% 390,427 776,048
1982 +96.0% 41,581 81,492

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 21,296 16,686 29,443 5
1980s 92,223 34,629 136,677 9
1990s 143,955 129,013 152,596 6
2000s 183,821 132,884 308,311 9
2010s 583,238 390,427 776,048 2
2020s 887,058 861,872 912,245 2

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 5 Indonesia 1.35 million compare
  2. 6 Russia 1.34 million compare
  3. 7 Brazil 1.02 million compare
  4. 9 Mexico 868,550 compare
  5. 10 Turkey 788,294 compare
  6. 11 Japan 627,777 compare

See the full ranking of 246 places →

More education data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is secondary education, teachers in Nigeria?
Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria was 912,245 in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest secondary education, teachers recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 912,245 in 2021.
What is the lowest secondary education, teachers recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 16,686 in 1977.
How does Nigeria rank for secondary education, teachers?
Nigeria ranks 8th out of 201 countries with data for 2021.
Is secondary education, teachers rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 133.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Secondary education, teachers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Secondary education, teachers in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/secondary-education-teachers/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Secondary education, teachers
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
246 places, 7,677 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.