₦airaland Forum

Good morning, Nairalanders.

Nigeria was ranked a 67.8 average IQ score in 2019 and 91.3 in 2024, lower than the standard average of 100. What are your thoughts on IQ and the methodology used in these studies? Do you think a lower IQ is, in some part, responsible for the state of our country?

It shows in everything we do in the country , the way we have disregard for rules , the way we are dishonest , the way we are self centered, the fact that Tinubu is even president is a function of low IQ....Talk with the average Nigerians and just know their IQ can't be more than 65

FarahAideed:
It shows in everything we do in the country , the way we have disregard for rules , the way we are dishonest , the way we are self centered, the fact that Tinubu is even president is a function of low IQ....Talk with the average Nigerians and just know their IQ can't be more than 65

I'm sure you would soon tell us you're a member of Mensa.


In any case, Tinubu has a higher IQ than Trump.

Of course, when you have a tribe, (SE) that believed Buhari was cloned in a country, such country won’t be rate highly intellectually..

Go to front page you will understand why it should be lower.

People think that Nigerians are smart people, but I think it's a mere hype because people who cannot elect sensible leaders should be some of the world's dúmbest people

PulaPower:
Of course, when you have a tribe, (SE) that believed Buhari was cloned in a country, such country won’t be rate highly intellectually..

For bobo chicago, mai powder and his predecessor Buhari, the certificateless to even become presidents shows that Nigerians have a very low IQ.

SmartPolician:
People think that Nigerians are smart people, but I think it's a mere hype because people who cannot elect sensible leaders should be some of the world's dúmbest people

You should also check your IQ...


If you think the situation is so basic and as simple as electing sensible leaders as if that is the only factor at play!

steadygo:
Good morning, Nairalanders.

Nigeria was ranked a 67.8 average IQ score in 2019 and 91.3 in 2024, lower than the standard average of 100. What are your thoughts on IQ and the methodology used in these studies? Do you think a lower IQ is, in some part, responsible for the state of our country?

Toh
how would you rate people who prefer suffering and chains to liberation?

How would you rate people who see evil and call it good?

Seyi law recently conceded that nigerians are in trouble despite he telling us initially that all is well simply because he wanted to spite a group of people.

Can such people be of high IQ?
Such people make up the majority of nigerians

Toh!!!

And the same Nigerians have been outsmarting the so called intelligent people with scamming. Hahaha

brain54:
You should also check your IQ...


If you think the situation is so basic and as simple as electing sensible leaders as if that is the only factor at play!

It is part of the equation.

ZombieDredd:
It is part of the equation.

I didn't say it wasn't...

@all, I forgot to link the article that lists the average IQ's by countries in my original post. Here it is - https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-iq-by-country

SmartPolician:
People think that Nigerians are smart people, but I think it's a mere hype because people who cannot elect sensible leaders should be some of the world's dúmbest people

Senseless aspersions. Who elects in Nigeria anyway? 70 percent of those in public positions superimposed themselves there using the INEC and Judiciary. You should have known this if your IQ were a bit higher than the people you are negatively painting with the same brush.

This is truly the highest dumbass act I swear just imagine if people reason that sometimes I just laugh at some people foolishness imagine someone brainwashed some people our former president that just died as died a long time ago before now…

PulaPower:
Of course, when you have a tribe, (SE) that believed Buhari was cloned in a country, such country won’t be rate highly intellectually..

steadygo:
Good morning, Nairalanders.

Nigeria was ranked a 67.8 average IQ score in 2019 and 91.3 in 2024, lower than the standard average of 100. What are your thoughts on IQ and the methodology used in these studies? Do you think a lower IQ is, in some part, responsible for the state of our country?

Well, what do you expect from a country where a significant number of people from the south east actually believed the president of the country died abroad and was replaced by a cloned lookalike from Sudan? Same set of people also believed a governor who achieved absolutely nothing for 8 years and couldn’t even articulate his manifesto is the only messiah that can turn the country to Dubai within 4 years.

SmartPolician:
People think that Nigerians are smart people, but I think it's a mere hype because people who cannot elect sensible leaders should be some of the world's dúmbest people

imagine when a tribe believe Buhari was cloned without knowing the meaning of cloning

I believe it because a particular tribe is calling another tribe an immigrant in his own country .

Many posters so far are agreeing with the IQ ranking but are not even providing any path forward. Are we just to continue the way we are, then?

Of Cos.... From your choice of leaders, the IQ of the citizens show

seunmsg:
Well, what do you expect from a country where a significant number of people from the south east actually believed the president of the country died abroad and was replaced be a cloned lookalike from Sudan? Same set of people also believed a governor who achieved absolutely nothing for 8 years and couldn’t even articulate his manifesto is the only messiah that can turn the country to Dubai within 4 years.

Killer Kadoso!! Fun won tan baba!!

steadygo:
Good morning, Nairalanders.

Nigeria was ranked a 67.8 average IQ score in 2019 and 91.3 in 2024, lower than the standard average of 100. What are your thoughts on IQ and the methodology used in these studies? Do you think a lower IQ is, in some part, responsible for the state of our country?

When the Mind Sleeps

You speak of numbers and rankings, yet few ask why the measure falls.
A nation’s mind dulls when its children are taught to repeat words instead of to reason.
When the classroom becomes a chapel, and prayer is praised more than curiosity,
the flame of thought flickers low.

This is not scorn — it is truth spoken in calm air.
Faith has its place; it steadies the heart, it comforts the lost.
But when faith rules where knowledge should lead,
when worship replaces inquiry, the land forgets how to build.

In the North we learned this long ago:
the gods are honored, but the world is understood.
We prayed, yes — to Odin for wisdom, to Thor for strength —
but still we studied the stars, the seas, the patterns of life.
For even the gods grant favor to those who use the minds they gave.

When a people kneel more than they question,
they trade their inheritance for illusions.
Temples rise, but schools decay.
Prophets multiply, but engineers vanish.
And then they wonder why the world passes them by.

The fault is not in the people’s blood, but in their priorities.
No tribe is born dull; the mind must be trained as a sword is tempered —
in heat, in challenge, in discipline.

So if the land would rise again,
let worship return to the spirit, and learning to the halls of study.
Let children be taught to think, not merely to recite.
Let reason and reverence share the same sky,
but let reason hold the map.

That is not an insult — it is an invitation:
to awaken, to stand, to remember that the mind too is sacred.

Fenrir:
When the Mind Sleeps

You speak of numbers and rankings, yet few ask why the measure falls.
A nation’s mind dulls when its children are taught to repeat words instead of to reason.
When the classroom becomes a chapel, and prayer is praised more than curiosity,
the flame of thought flickers low.

This is not scorn — it is truth spoken in calm air.
Faith has its place; it steadies the heart, it comforts the lost.
But when faith rules where knowledge should lead,
when worship replaces inquiry, the land forgets how to build.

In the North we learned this long ago:
the gods are honored, but the world is understood.
We prayed, yes — to Odin for wisdom, to Thor for strength —
but still we studied the stars, the seas, the patterns of life.
For even the gods grant favor to those who use the minds they gave.

When a people kneel more than they question,
they trade their inheritance for illusions.
Temples rise, but schools decay.
Prophets multiply, but engineers vanish.
And then they wonder why the world passes them by.

The fault is not in the people’s blood, but in their priorities.
No tribe is born dull; the mind must be trained as a sword is tempered —
in heat, in challenge, in discipline.

So if the land would rise again,
let worship return to the spirit, and learning to the halls of study.
Let children be taught to think, not merely to recite.
Let reason and reverence share the same sky,
but let reason hold the map.

That is not an insult — it is an invitation:
to awaken, to stand, to remember that the mind too is sacred.

What's all this? Did you not see that I asked for posters thought on the methodology, why do you say I do not then ask why the measure falls? We do not need you to fix our country. You are not qualified to be our savior.

Of course na, though not everybody, it's some tribe that believes a drug baron will give them a better country and the other tribe that fights for a God who can do all things.

steadygo:
What's all this? Did you not see that I asked for posters thought on the methodology, why do you say I do not then ask why the measure falls? We do not need you to fix our country. You are not qualified to be our savior.

I think your question is fair and worth exploring. However, it’s important to take those IQ rankings with a big grain of salt — not because Nigerians (or any group) are “less intelligent,” but because of how such studies are conducted.

Most international IQ comparisons rely on samples that are not truly representative of the entire population. Factors like language of testing, education access, nutrition, socioeconomic background, and cultural familiarity with test formats all heavily affect average scores. In countries where education systems are uneven or where people take the tests in a non-native language, the results can’t reflect actual intelligence — they often reflect exposure and opportunity, not innate ability.

For example, Norway’s average IQ appears high in global rankings, but that doesn’t mean Norwegians are inherently smarter — it reflects consistent education quality, good healthcare, and less economic inequality, which all support cognitive development and performance.

As someone living in Nigeria, I’ve met many Nigerians whose reasoning ability, creativity, and problem-solving skills are outstanding — even without formal structures that support them fully. That tells me the potential is there; the issue is systemic, not biological.

If anything, Nigeria’s development could benefit from a stronger focus on critical thinking and science education. A clearer separation between religious practices and formal learning — for instance, prioritizing study and analysis during school hours while keeping faith a personal or community matter — might help create more time and focus for developing those skills. Education and faith can coexist, but keeping their roles distinct tends to produce better educational outcomes, as seen in many other countries.

So the better question might be: what environmental or policy factors can help Nigerians maximize their already existing potential? That’s where progress starts — not in the IQ number itself.

I'm not surprised. Have you really encountered the average Nigerian? Look around you. Only a country filled with absolute mo(r)ons can turn out the way Nigeria has.

Fenrir:
I think your question is fair and worth exploring. However, it’s important to take those IQ rankings with a big grain of salt — not because Nigerians (or any group) are “less intelligent,” but because of how such studies are conducted.

Most international IQ comparisons rely on samples that are not truly representative of the entire population. Factors like language of testing, education access, nutrition, socioeconomic background, and cultural familiarity with test formats all heavily affect average scores. In countries where education systems are uneven or where people take the tests in a non-native language, the results can’t reflect actual intelligence — they often reflect exposure and opportunity, not innate ability.

For example, Norway’s average IQ appears high in global rankings, but that doesn’t mean Norwegians are inherently smarter — it reflects consistent education quality, good healthcare, and less economic inequality, which all support cognitive development and performance.

As someone living in Nigeria, I’ve met many Nigerians whose reasoning ability, creativity, and problem-solving skills are outstanding — even without formal structures that support them fully. That tells me the potential is there; the issue is systemic, not biological.

If anything, Nigeria’s development could benefit from a stronger focus on critical thinking and science education. A clearer separation between religious practices and formal learning — for instance, prioritizing study and analysis during school hours while keeping faith a personal or community matter — might help create more time and focus for developing those skills. Education and faith can coexist, but keeping their roles distinct tends to produce better educational outcomes, as seen in many other countries.

So the better question might be: what environmental or policy factors can help Nigerians maximize their already existing potential? That’s where progress starts — not in the IQ number itself.

Mr. Foreigner it is a thought question intended for fellow Nigerians. I do not believe Nigerians really have low IQ, indeed I believe we are of the smartest people in the world. But thanks for your contribution, nonetheless.

Nigerians are not less intelligent but rather misdirected.

We have so many smart Nigerians abroad who are doing excellently well.

steadygo:
Mr. Foreigner it is a thought question intended for fellow Nigerians. I do not believe Nigerians really have low IQ, indeed I believe we are of the smartest people in the world. But thanks for your contribution, nonetheless.

I’ve said it many times — Nigerians are among the most intelligent people on the planet. The problem isn’t a lack of brilliance; it’s how that brilliance is used. Too often, it’s turned inward, to compete and step over one another, instead of being harnessed to lift each other up.

And my name is sven not mr foreigner.

steadygo:
Mr. Foreigner it is a thought question intended for fellow Nigerians. I do not believe Nigerians really have low IQ, indeed I believe we are of the smartest people in the world. But thanks for your contribution, nonetheless.

And think the term you are looking for is "thought experiment"