2026 Ranking: Lagos, Oyo, Delta Lead Nigeria in Number of Certified Teachers

Lagos has emerged as the state with the highest number of certified teachers recorded on Nigeria’s national teacher register, according to the latest teacher workforce data from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

The 2026 data puts Lagos well ahead of other states, with about 125,100 certified teachers recorded on the national register. Oyo follows with 92,500, while Delta ranks third with 90,700.

Lagos leads as top states record thousands of certified teachers

The gap between Lagos and the next two states is notable. Lagos has more than 32,000 additional certified teachers than Oyo and about 34,400 more than Delta.

The Federal Capital Territory ranks fourth with 80,800 certified teachers, followed by Kwara with 71,600 and Kaduna with 70,400.

Anambra occupies seventh position with 69,800, while Kano has 63,000. Enugu and Kogi follow with 54,400 and 53,400, respectively.

Plateau, with 50,200, and Ogun, with 48,100, complete the top 12.

The ranking in plain text:

1. Lagos — 125,100
2. Oyo — 92,500
3. Delta — 90,700
4. FCT — 80,800
5. Kwara — 71,600
6. Kaduna — 70,400
7. Anambra — 69,800
8. Kano — 63,000
9. Enugu — 54,400
10. Kogi — 53,400
11. Plateau — 50,200
12. Ogun — 48,100

Data Derived From The Chart.

The ranking cuts across several geopolitical zones, although southern states feature prominently among the leading positions. The South West has three states in the top 12 — Lagos, Oyo and Ogun — while the North Central has four when the FCT is included.

Kwara State ’s position is notable, with the state recording 71,600 certified teachers, placing it fifth nationally and ahead of Kaduna and Anambra.

The figures also show that having a large number of teachers on the national register does not necessarily mean all of them are currently teaching in classrooms within the state.

What the TRCN figures actually represent

The figures represent teachers recorded as certified on the TRCN’s national register. They should therefore not be treated as a direct count of teachers currently working in schools in each state.

The TRCN teacher workforce dashboard also tracks other indicators, including active digital licences, digital accounts and candidates participating in the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE). The council's register records about 1.63 million certified teachers nationwide.

The state certification figures used for this ranking are from the 3 June 2026 snapshot, with the figures rounded down for public reporting.

Beyond certification numbers, the data also highlights differences in the teacher pipeline across states. Borno recorded the highest number of active PQE candidates at about 3,700, followed by Lagos with approximately 3,300 candidates.

The figures provide a snapshot of how certified teachers are distributed across Nigeria and offer a broader view of the country's regulated teaching workforce.

Source: Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), *Teacher Workforce Data*, 2026. https://public.trcn.gov.ng/teacher-workforce-data?utm_source=abureport.com.ng

Reported by AbuReport.com.ng.