The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government over what he described as the poor management of Nigeria’s education sector, saying the country’s worsening learning outcomes require fundamental reforms rather than mere policy adjustments.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Friday, Obi said the Federal Government’s recent admission that the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools had failed was a reflection of deeper leadership failures in the education sector.
According to him, the poor performance recorded in national examinations over the past two years underscores the urgent need for greater investment in education.
“The Federal Government has finally admitted to its poor management of the education sector. Recently, the Minister of Education acknowledged that the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools has failed to improve educational outcomes. This is evident in recent examination results,” Obi said.
Citing statistics from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the former Anambra State governor noted that only 38.32 per cent of candidates passed both English Language and Mathematics in the 2024 WASSCE, while only 32 per cent reportedly passed the computer-based WASSCE in 2025.
“This poor performance has been consistent across major examinations over the past two years,” he added.
Obi described the government’s admission as tragic, stressing that education remains the bedrock of human capital development and economic growth.
“This admission is tragic because education is the most vital contributor to human capital development, which forms the foundation for growth and economic development of any society. We cannot overcome economic stagnation without prioritising education, healthcare, and job creation to lift millions of unemployed youths out of poverty,” he stated.
Drawing comparisons with rapidly developing Asian economies, Obi argued that educational excellence could only be achieved through sustained investment in curriculum development, motivated teachers and improved learning environments.
He faulted the Federal Government’s budgetary allocation to education, saying it reflected a lack of commitment to the sector.
“Unfortunately, the government continues to neglect the sector. In the 2026 budget, education received only ₦3.52 trillion, just 6.17 per cent of total expenditure, down from 7.87 per cent in 2025, and well below UNESCO’s recommended 15–20 per cent. This low allocation indicates a failure to recognise education as a driver of sustained economic growth,” he said.
Obi also lamented Nigeria’s failure to sponsor students to international science competitions due to inadequate funding.
“Education advocate, Mr. Alex Onyia, recently revealed that Nigeria failed to sponsor students to the International STEM and Mathematics Olympiads due to a lack of 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.
The former presidential candidate argued that the country’s education crisis was not caused by the structure of the secondary school system but by poor governance.
“The Minister’s admission reflects a broader failure of public leadership. The issue is not the JSS/SSS policy itself, but the lack of commitment to properly fund, manage, and deliver quality education,” Obi stated.
Highlighting his record as governor of Anambra State, Obi said strategic investments and effective leadership significantly improved educational outcomes during his administration.
“In Anambra State, we proved that committed leadership can transform educational outcomes. Through effective funding, oversight, provision of laptops, generators, internet connectivity, and other learning aids, we turned the sector around,” he said.
He added, “Our effort in providing computers across all secondary schools, both public and private, was recognised by the HP Africa Head, who declared that Anambra had procured the largest number of laptops for school children of any subnational government in Africa.”
Obi concluded by urging the government to prioritise education, healthcare and job creation, warning that continued neglect of these critical sectors would have lasting consequences.
“For the future of our society, we must deliberately invest in education, healthcare, and job creation. 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.
