By Patrick Idowu
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Administration over the continued teachers’ strike in Abuja, which has left public school children at home for three months.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Thursday, Obi described education as the most vital component of human development, stressing that national progress is deeply tied to the education of its citizens.
“It is a known and verifiable study that the more educated a nation is, the more developed it is,” Obi wrote. “Consequently, the most important investment and policy a nation requires is educating its people, especially children, to secure their future.”
Obi expressed concern that, despite expectations that the strike would be resolved quickly given its occurrence in the nation’s capital, students remain at home while the government focuses on infrastructure projects.
“When the strike began, we all thought, ‘This is Abuja; it will only last for a day or two.’ But here we are, three months later, our children are still at home and we are busy renovating the infrastructure,” he said.
He warned that continued neglect of education could have dire consequences for the country’s economy and security, urging leaders to realign their priorities.
“The foundation of societal development is an educated citizenry, not physical infrastructure,” he stated. “True development is about building people. It is about educating the next generation. We must prioritise investment in human capital, especially in basic education, healthcare, and pulling people out of poverty. That is how nations grow. That is how we build the New Nigeria that is possible.”
The teachers’ strike, which began over issues related to unpaid salaries and poor working conditions, continues to disrupt academic activities across public schools in the FCT.
