Peter Obi Raises Alarm Over Nigeria’s Education Crisis, Calls For Urgent Action

Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi has raised serious concerns about the worsening state of Nigeria’s education sector, describing it as a crisis of enormous scale that requires immediate attention.

Obi highlighted the dire conditions faced by Nigerian children, emphasizing that they deserve functional classrooms rather than neglected and abandoned infrastructure projects.

His remarks came in response to a recent report from the Universal Basic Education Commission revealing that over 20 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, with many others unable to read or write despite being enrolled.

“These alarming statistics are also reflected in WAEC results,” Obi noted, referring to the latest WASSCE outcomes, which he called “the worst academic performance in five years,” with only 38 percent of students passing.

He criticized what he termed a misallocation of national priorities, lamenting that “at a time when education should be our top priority and critical investment, we continue to spend trillions on infrastructure projects that contribute little or nothing to measurable development.”

Obi condemned ongoing renovation projects he views as ineffective while the education sector remains in crisis. “Our children deserve classrooms, not abandoned projects,” he insisted.

Urging a change in direction, Obi stressed that “education is the most powerful investment we can make in the future of this nation.”

He called on governments at all levels to redirect resources towards building functional schools and expanding access to quality education for every Nigerian child.

“A nation that neglects its young people has no future. To build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous nation, we must invest in our children. When we fail them, we fail our nation,” Obi concluded.