By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over what he described as a worsening crisis in Nigeria’s education sector, calling for urgent and comprehensive national action.
Reacting on Thursday to disturbing figures released by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Obi lamented that over 20 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, while many others in school lack basic literacy skills.
He also referenced the recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), results, which recorded only a 38 percent pass rate, the worst in the last five years.
“This is a crisis of immense magnitude,” Obi said. “Our children deserve classrooms, not abandoned projects.”
He criticized what he described as the misplacement of national priorities, accusing government leaders of pouring trillions into infrastructure projects with limited developmental impact, while foundational sectors like education continue to suffer neglect.
“At a time when education should be our most urgent national priority, we are investing in projects of little value,” he noted, citing ongoing renovations and constructions he believes are of minimal benefit.
Obi emphasized that education remains the most powerful investment any nation can make for its future, warning that continued disregard for the sector could have lasting consequences.
“A nation that neglects its young people has no future,” he stated. “To build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Nigeria, we must invest in our children. When we fail them, we fail the nation.”
He urged governments at all levels to urgently shift focus and resources toward building functional schools and expanding access to quality education.
