The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government over what he described as years of poor management of Nigeria’s education sector, saying recent admissions by the Minister of Education confirm the country’s deepening education crisis.
Obi said the minister’s acknowledgement that the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools had failed to improve learning outcomes was a clear indication of systemic failure, pointing to declining performance in national examinations as evidence.
According to him, only 38.32 per cent of candidates passed both English Language and Mathematics in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), while just 32 per cent passed the computer-based WASSCE in 2025, describing the trend as proof of a worsening education system.
He warned that the development was particularly alarming because education remains the cornerstone of human capital development and the engine of economic growth.
“We cannot overcome economic stagnation without prioritising education, healthcare and job creation to lift millions of unemployed youths out of poverty,” Obi said.
Drawing comparisons with rapidly developing Asian countries, he argued that sustained investment in education, quality curriculum, motivated teachers and improved learning environments had been central to their economic transformation.
Obi also faulted the Federal Government’s budgetary commitment to education, noting that the sector received ₦3.52 trillion in the 2026 budget, representing just 6.17 per cent of total expenditure, down from 7.87 per cent in 2025 and far below UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15–20 per cent.
He further cited claims by education advocate Alex Onyia that Nigeria failed to sponsor students to recent International STEM and Mathematics Olympiads because of inadequate funding.
“It is heartbreaking that the government can sponsor hundreds to irrelevant international conferences yet fail to support its brightest students on the world stage,” he said.
Obi maintained that the real problem was not the junior and senior secondary school structure itself but the government’s inability to adequately fund, manage and deliver quality education.
Highlighting his record as governor of Anambra State, he said strategic investments in education, including the provision of laptops, generators, internet connectivity and other learning facilities, significantly improved educational outcomes.
According to him, Anambra’s large-scale distribution of computers to both public and private secondary schools earned recognition from HP Africa, which described the state as having procured the largest number of laptops for schoolchildren by any subnational government in Africa.
Obi urged governments at all levels to make deliberate investments in education, healthcare and job creation, warning that neglecting these critical sectors would have lasting consequences.
“As I have always said, failing to do the right things is equivalent to abusing society, and the society we abuse today will take its revenge on us and our children tomorrow,” he said.
