Nigeria, renowned as the most populous black nation, has claimed the third spot among prominent English-speaking African countries, with South Africa and Kenya securing the first and second positions respectively. Furthermore, Nigeria has clinched the 28th rank on the global stage in the EF English Proficiency Index, the latest update reveals.

These rankings encompass nations categorized as non-native English speakers, based on evaluations from 2.1 million adults in 111 countries and regions, as detailed on the EF EPI website. The rankings are divided into five proficiency levels: very high, high, moderate, low, and very low.

Standing out as the sole African country to attain a "very high" proficiency level, South Africa joins the ranks of the Netherlands, Singapore, Austria, Norway, Denmark, and seven others. In a similar vein, Nigeria and Kenya find themselves in the "high" proficiency category, alongside 16 other nations. Impressively, the Netherlands clinches the global top position, followed by Singapore in second place and Austria in third.

Among the entries, a total of 20 African nations are listed. South Africa and Kenya achieve the 12th and 20th positions globally, respectively. Other African countries featured on the index include Ghana (41st globally and 4th in Africa) and Uganda (55th globally and 5th in Africa), among others.

The Education First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) aims to rank countries based on the English language skills of adults who participated in the EF test. For inclusion in the ranking, a country must have a minimum of 400 test takers.